Rail Transit System in Cambodia

[Fulltimer]

Originally Posted by AsianDragons

since when???

i heard from a friend of mine from cambodia but i don't know if he is telling me the truth or not.

[hopeoneday]

Based on Phnom Penh Post, PM is searching for the funds to build new rail from PP to Viet Nam Border after it had clear feasibility study.

[kimmy]

I think our PM will need to travel to China or it will be discussed in this year Asean + China meeting. I expect alittle bit support from Asean countries because this is Asean 's railway.

[Asian]

Originally Posted by Fulltimer

stop bringing politics into this forum dude! he can say whatever he wants it's his way of pronouncing it! you get so sensitive over little things!

Yeah, he can say what he wants about Cambodia in the Thai Forums, and I would not give a shit about it, but in Cambodia Forum, he has to respect Cambodians, pronouncing Cambodia town and cities correctly in included. It is little things for you because you are detached from everything Cambodian. Cambodians that I talk to thing this is big deal because some thais are ignorant on this issue.

[Wisarut]

Originally Posted by Fulltimer

Any news on railway connection from Phnom penh to Koh kong cambodia?

NO - They have focust on reviving the exisign route and the rotue to Siam Reap and ANgore instead of Koh Kong since you can take a bus from Sihanukvilled to Koh Koing or so.

[Wisarut]

Here is the recent situation of Cambodia railway (Rot Ploeng) - in Cambodian with English Subtitle

[หม่องวิน มอไซ]

Toll Group alleged to be leaving rail project.



Royal Group denies Toll's exit from local railway project.

[kimmy]

Toll trains said to stop March 31

Tom Brennan
Tuesday, 20 March 2012


Toll Group has informed the Cambodian government that it will suspend all railway operations and lay off half of its Cambodian staff at the end of the month, according to a source familiar with the situation.
The Australian logistics firm, which in partnership with Royal Group of Companies holds a 30-year lease to operate the Kingdom’s national railway, reportedly told the government of its plan last Friday, Paul Power, a consultant to the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MPWT), told the Post yesterday.

“The major reason is the rehabilitation [of the railway] is well behind schedule. And Toll believes, rightly or wrongly, the schedule of rehabilitation doesn’t meet with their business objectives,” he said by phone, adding that discussions between Toll and the Cambodian government had been ongoing since last summer.

Power presently works as project coordinator for MPWT, upgrading the ministry’s Railway Department.

The department is tasked with, among other duties, the implementation of the concession agreement between the government and Toll Royal Railway, the Toll Group-Royal Group joint venture.

“Suspension of service and employees takes effect March 31,” Power said in a follow-up email yesterday.

Sixty Cambodians out of a total staff of 120 will be laid off on a re-call basis, he said, “with only one expat out of four remaining as far as I know”.

Insiders have said recently that Toll Group had grown frustrated with the often-delayed rehabilitation of the Cambodian national railway, especially the southern line that connects Phnom Penh with Sihanoukville port, and planned to withdraw from the project.

Toll Group officials in Australia declined to comment on a report in the Australian press last week to that effect, but Toll officials in Cambodia said a statement on the status of the project was now being drafted for release.

Toll Group has not yet issued that statement.

When asked yesterday about its reported suspension notice to the government, Toll Group spokesman Andrew Ethell in Melbourne and Toll Royal CEO David Kerr again declined to comment.

The Post reached Touch Chankosal, the MPWT secretary of state in charge of the rail project, multiple times yesterday evening by phone, but he said he was in a meeting and declined to comment.

Two spokesmen at the Council of Ministers claimed they still had no knowledge of Toll’s announcement that it would suspend operations.

Depite Toll’s complaints, the rehabilitation process has seen “marked improvements” of late, Philip Bulmer, deputy project manager for the southern line with Nippon Koei, said.

Nippon Koei is a railway engineering firm also working on the project.

Sinopacific Construction Corp, which is registered in Vietnam but has roots in Taiwan and mainland China, has “recently mobilised significant resources” to jump-start the rebuilding, he said.

SPCC is in a joint venture with France’s TSO to restore the railway.

“Everybody’s working hard now to attain limited commercial operation by October of this year,” Bulmer said of the southern line.

The southern line was originally projected for completion in late 2010, but was later pushed back to May 2011.

Full completion is now expected in January next year, Bulmer said.

He blamed the rehabilitation delays on “contractual issues”, but declined to comment further.

If Toll Group aimed to prompt faster rehabilitation by suspending operations, the company may have made a mistake, MPWT consultant Power said.

Toll is presently leasing its trains to TSO to carry construction material and equipment to work sites.

But with operations now coming to a halt, the rebuilding will most likely move even more slowly, Power said.

“I don’t think it’s a good strategy, but I’m not an investor,” he said of Toll’s decision.

“We don’t have the trains to complete the rehab.”

Power called the status of the rail project an “uncertain situation”, saying “the government needs to measure the impact of Toll’s suspension of service and consider its options”.

[หม่องวิน มอไซ]

Poipet-Sisophon Railway 17 Mar 2012
6 km from Poi Pet City
http://maps.google.co.th/?ll=13.6319...06968&t=h&z=18

[หม่องวิน มอไซ]

Gov’t Reveals Chinese, Korean Railway Plans
Eang Mengleng and Simon Lewis
Cambodia Daily March 20, 2012 P.17

The Chinese and South Korean governments have been granted permission to build 565 km of new railroad in Cambodia and have already conducted feasibility studies, according to a government report released yesterday.

In its annual report, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport said that plans were in store to build 450 km of railroad from Preah Vihear province in the north to Kampot province in the south.

China Railway—a state-owned company under the Chinese Ministry of Railways—has conducted a feasibility study for the project, the report says.

The line would pass through Kompong Thom, Kompong Chhnang and Kompong Speu provinces, according to the report, which added that another Chinese company, CRSDI, is involved in studies for more railway-related work, including a station to be built in Kompong Chhnang City, the report says.

[Fulltimer]

yesssssss...yessssssssssssss.... finally we soon see the connection between China through mainland South East Asia.

[hopeoneday]

how soon is it???? Lolz

[Wisarut]

^
When Chinese government approved the special loan with 60-Year concession alogn with massive importation of Chinese workers accompanied with the 2-10 km wide strip of land alogn the railway line as the tightening nooses attached.

[Fulltimer]

Originally Posted by Wisarut

^
When Chinese government approved the special loan with 60-Year concession alogn with massive importation of Chinese workers accompanied with the 2-10 km wide strip of land alogn the railway line as the tightening nooses attached.

Don't worry! As long as it is built then we are happy! Everybody will be happy!

[Fulltimer]

Wisarut! How about build a railway to Koh kong to the it's port!

[mrfusion]

Originally Posted by Asian

Yeah, he can say what he wants about Cambodia in the Thai Forums, and I would not give a shit about it, but in Cambodia Forum, he has to respect Cambodians, pronouncing Cambodia town and cities correctly in included. It is little things for you because you are detached from everything Cambodian. Cambodians that I talk to thing this is big deal because some thais are ignorant on this issue.

I think there is no need to be pissed off, just correct us nicely. It is very common for non Cambodian speaker to pronounce Khmer incorrectly.

[khoojyh]

Is there train service from Bkk to capital city?

[Asian]

Originally Posted by mrfusion

I think there is no need to be pissed off, just correct us nicely. It is very common for non Cambodian speaker to pronounce Khmer incorrectly.

I was trying to tell him how to pronounce it right more a a few times. But, he still keeps doing the same thing pretending to be stupid about it. Don't you know lots of Thais still believe that Preah Vihear belongs to Thailand, not Cambodia? It does not matter how much we correct them, they won't listen. I don't mind if they call it the way they usually do in their forums. But, in international forums, Cambodia forum, for example, they should respect Cambodians by willing to spell Preah Vihear the way Cambodians and international community call it.

I think I can correct my dog easily better than people who really do not care and respect other people cultures.

[Fulltimer]

Originally Posted by หม่องวิน มอไซ

Poipet-Sisophon Railway 17 Mar 2012
6 km from Poi Pet City
http://maps.google.co.th/?ll=13.6319...06968&t=h&z=18

Can you imagine taking the train to Battambang and seeing them beautiful lush green Rice fields!

[mrfusion]

All i am concern is if the train is air conditioned.