Phnom Penh (VNA) – Railway authorities of Cambodia and Thailand set to meet onFebruary 14 for final discussions on cross-border rail transportation betweenthe nations.
The twocountries’ agreement on cross-border railway was signed last April, but yet tobe implemented, Ly Borin, under-secretary of state of the Ministry of PublicWorks and Transport, told Khmer Times.
He said histeam will talk with the Thai counterparts about the transnational railroad andfinal documents will be inked to make sure people and cargo from both countriescan cross the border via train, Ly said.
The newconnection will make the transportation of cargo more efficient, lowercosts, improve security, reduce traffic jams and contribute to the developmentof both countries as well as add a further link with the rest of ASEAN membersand the Mekong sub-region.
Ly unveiledthat the two countries were about to start cross-border rail transportation inOctober last year, but floods damaged the railway, so Cambodian authoritiesdelayed the move. He added that now the track is fixed, both countries arenearly ready to start its operations.
Cambodia plansto start in March at the latest to ensure the cross-border rail transportationruns smoothly, he said.
In April lastyear, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Thai counterpart PrayutChan-o-cha presided over the inauguration ceremony on the reconnected railroadnetwork more than 40 years since the route stopped. Both governments expect itwill improve transportation and boost trade.
Thailanddonated a diesel multiple unit (DMU) train, powered by on-board diesel enginesthat require no separate locomotive, to Cambodia. It was manufactured byJapan’s Hitachi company and comprises four carriages, each able to carry 80passengers.
The 386-km northern rail route connecting Cambodia and Thailand starts at Phnom Penh and travels to Poipet on the Thai border. At Poipet, a Thai train engine will befitted to allow onward passage to Bangkok.
According tothe Cambodian Commerce Ministry, bilateral trade between Cambodia and Thailandreached 9.41 billion USD by the end of 2019, up from 8.39 billion USD in 2018.Cambodia’s imports from Thailand totalled around 7.14 billion USD while exports stood at 2.27 billion USD./.
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Illustrative image. (Source: khmertimeskh) 
