Eastern rail link gears up for service
15 May 2018
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) expects to begin service on a 107-kilometre train route from Battambang to Pursat on May 29, saying on their Facebook page that officials are actively working on restoring the track.

“Our officials are working tirelessly, both day and night, to begin the train service through the plan that will [be launched] in May this year,” MPWT said in its Facebook page on Sunday.

Once operational, the Battambang-Pursat line will follow on the heels of the opening of a 58-kilometre stretch between the border town of Poipet and Banteay Meanchey province’s Mongkul Borey, which was inaugurated on April 29.

With Pursat and Battambang connected by rail, the ministry then plans on restoring the 134-kilometre stretch of track from Pursat to Bat Doeng, in Kampong Speu’s Oudong district.

The remaining 32 kilometres from Bat Doeng to Phnom Penh was scheduled to be completed last, and a passenger service from Phnom Penh to the Thai border at Poipet was set to be available by the end of the year, Transportation Minister Sun Chanthol said in April.
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The Battambang to Pursat train line was opened on time at the inauguration ceremony on 29 May 2018.

Battambang-Pursat 107-km Railway Resumes after 12 Years
29/05/18 22:09

Phnom Penh (FN), May 29 - The 107-kilometer stretch of railway that connects Battambang to Pursat has been temporarily resumed following the 12-year absence.
The inauguration ceremony was presided over by Minister of Transport Sun Chanthol on Tuesday at Battambang Station.

The 386-kilometer Phnom Penh-Poipet (Cambodia-Thai Border) railway link was completed in 1942 but was destroyed in the 1970s during the Cambodian civil war.



The 48-kilometer from Poipet to Sisophon was officially inaugurated on April 4, 2018 and the 65-kilometer from Sisophon-Battambang was launched on April 29, 2018.

The 134-kilometer railroad from Pursat to Kompong Speu is scheduled to be launched in July, whereas a 32-kilometer stretch of railroad from Kompong Speu to Phnom Penh will be completed by 2018.

The minister said that the restoration of the Phnom Penh-Poitpet costed about $96.6 million, of which, approximately $13 million is Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s budget, and $ 83.6 million is the government's budget.
=FRESH NEWS