Prime Minister Hun Manet has announced that the government intends to prioritise upgrades to existing rail lines rather than the construction of a new high-speed network. He also stressed the Kingdom’s ambition to turn Preah Sihanouk into a regional logistic hub.

While speaking to workers at Sihanoukville Autonomous Port on May 1, Manet said the current priorities are the two rail lines which connect Phnom Penh to Poipet and Phnom Penh to Preah Sihanouk province. The lines were built in the 1930s.

At present, the passenger trains on the Phnom Penh-Preah Sihanoukville line can travel at 80km per hour, while cargo trains can make only 50km/h. The Phnom Penh-Poipet route is even slower.

“Currently, only 6 to 7 percent of cargo transportation is undertaken by rail,” said Manet, adding that the proposed upgrades will also focus on accident prevention. Trains have struck numerous vehicles and animals in the past.

According to the prime minister, in the future, Cambodia will build additional barriers or flyovers, to eliminate the risk of collisions.

The planned upgrades to the Kingdom’s rail network will increase Cambodia’s transport capabilities. In addition to the trains, waterway and airway links are also being targeted for improvement. All of the plans are aimed towards Preah Sihanouk province, with the goal of transforming the province into a regional logistics hub.

At present, Cambodia’s railways are operated by Royal Railway Cambodia, owned by prominent businessman Kit Meng.

The company recently purchased 11 locomotives from Japan. The trains, known as Kiha 183 Heavy Snow, originally from the Kiha 183 series, arrived at the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port on April 27.

The company announced that the newly arrived locomotives will be put into service shortly on both lines.

International media outlets also reported that Thailand has also purchased 20 trains from Japan, a mix of Kiha 40 and Kiha 48 diesel multiple use engines (DMUs).

During his address, Manet also discussed the potential of the Sihanoukville port.

He noted that the deep-water port is rated to receive 550,000 containers (twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs), but that the actual number is over 700,000 TEUs per year.

Last year, 1,506 ships docked at the port, an increase of four per cent on the previous year. Significantly, he explained that the facility handled 35 per cent more cargo by volume in the same period, indicating the importance of the port and its strategic location.

He said that ahead of planned upgrades, only 17 per cent of large container ships can dock at the port, while others are forced to berth at larger facilities such as Singapore.

When the first phase of the upgrades is completed in 2026, the port will be able to handle up to 93 per cent of all large cargo vessels.

“93 per cent is not a simple number. It means that most large vessels will no longer need to transit cargo in Singapore and pay fees there. We will save transportation fees by up to $200 per TEU, increasing our competitive advantage,” explained Manet.

He added that the second phase of the upgrades, due for completion in 2028, will enable the largest ships in Asia and the Pacific region to dock at the port.

When the third phase is completed in 2029, the largest vessels on the planet will be welcomed to Sihanoukville.