by Rapeepat Mantanarat
BANGKOK, 19 June 2012: Transport Minister Jarupong Ruangsuwan confirmed last week that a missing section of 6 km railway track from Aranyaprathet district in Sa Kaew province to Cambodia’s railway junction in Poi Pet district, Banteay Meanchey province, will be completed next year.
Thailand’s railways, eastern line service (254 km) now ends at Tha Kham sub-district, about 4.5 km from Aranyaprathet district town. This 4.5 km section will be rebuilt and then extended another 1.5 km to Klong Luk at the Thai-Cambodian border at Poipet.
The Transport Ministry was given a budget in 2013 of Bt564 million under a track strengthening work project of the SRT for Klong Sip Kao station in Chacheongsao province to Klong Luk in Sa Kaew province. It covers around 65 km and will cost Bt2.8 billion when completed in 2015.
The rail link will be used to transport cargo and passengers between Thailand and Cambodia.On the Cambodia side, the Government of Australia and the Asian Development Bank have been working with the Royal Government of Cambodia and other donor partners to rehabilitate the country’s railway.
The railway runs south from Phnom Penh to the seaport in Sihanoukville and north from Phnom Penh to Sisophon. The 650 km existing railway has been under repair following years of neglect and vandalism dating back to the Khmer Rouge era.
According to ADB documents, the 48-km missing link between Sisophon and the Thai border through Poipet is being reconstructed to support 20 tons axle load should be completed late this year.
The rail track from Sisophon to Phnom Penh spans 337 km.
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