Cambodia will gracefully welcome another 140km of the northern railway to connect the Thai border to better facilitate the transportation of goods between the two countries. Both the countries officially floated rail network link in late 2018.
On 22nd July’20, Vasim Sorya, undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, said: “Thailand promised to provide the new rail after the launch that year.”
“The Thai side will hand over the around 140km rail in August or September. It will strengthen our railways and improve the quality of goods transportation between the two countries,” he said.
Sorya added: “After the northern railway is upgraded, it will be able to carry 20 tonnes and increase the speed to up to 70km/h from the current 30km/h.”
Connecting Phnom Penh to Poipet in Banteay Meanchey province and on to the Thai border, the northern railway has held boosted bilateral trade.
Thailand is Cambodia’s seventh-largest importer of Cambodian goods after the US, Japan, Germany, China, Britain and Canada, accounting for four per cent of Cambodia’s exports.
Aluminium is one of the major exports that have been ongoing from Cambodia to Thailand, while the other exports are gemstones, jewellery and agricultural products.
The Govt. of Cambodia on 12th June 2009 granted a 30-year concession agreement to Toll (Cambodia) Co Ltd – a joint-venture between Australia-owned Toll Holding Ltd and Cambodia’s local conglomerate Royal Group of Companies Ltd – to manage the operations of the Kingdom’s railway system.
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