Cambodia

Country Details

See Wikipedia

Railway System

The system consists of only two lines, from Phnom Penh to Battambang and Poipet, on the Thai border (the north line), and the port of Sihanoukville (the south line). There is a curve between the south and north lines 11km outside Phnom Penh allowing freight trains to avoid a time consuming reversal in Phnom Penh.

National Railway Operator

Royal Railway

Maps

• Online: Railways Through Europe

Timetable

Information is available at the Man in Seat 61 or departure times only through the official ticket booking website.

Journey Planner

Royal Railway(Cambodia)

Downloadable Timetable

None, and as at March 2023 the website link to the timetable contained no information but services at that time were daily from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh to Battambang and return, perhaps surprisingly worked from the Phnom Penh end.

Printed Timetable

Summary timetables are available in some editions of the European Rail Timetable.

Engineering Information

None known

Printed Maps

None known

Web-based Maps

Included in Open Railway Map.

Ticketing

Royal Railway(Cambodia)

Infrastructure

Infrastructure Authority

None

Network Statement

None

Gauge

Metre but see below regarding the study into regauging to 1435 mm

Electrification

None but see below regarding the study into electrification

Rule of the road

The network is single track with a centralised Train Order control (based on the system used in Victoria, Australia)

Distances

Official distances are 262.6km from Phnom Penh station to Sihanoukville [with at maximum a 2km freight branch onwards to the docks] and 384.3km Phnom Penh station to Poipet, with 1km onwards to Ban Klong Luk station right on the border on the Thailand side. Both lines share the first 9.4km from Phnom Penh before splitting at the east end of a triangle including a north to west freight avoiding line.

Other Railways

None

Tourist Lines

http://www.bambootrain.com/ is no longer operating from O Dambong II and O Sralov near Battambang despite what the website implies, [note no updates since 2017 and this is believed to have stopped operating soon afterwards] as this used the tracks of the previously long closed Royal Railway now refurbished and re-opened. There is however a replacement new "Bamboo Railway" built for Tourist near Banan, some 16km south of Battambang but it does not appear to have a website yet. for its location so further details would be appreciated by the Compilers.

Metro and light rail systems

None

Recent and Future Changes

Recent Changes

The line between Battambang via Sisophon to Poipet, on the border with Thailand, reopened for freight trains in 2018 after it had fallen into disuse over previous decades. In early 2023 the crolss-border service was described as occasional car trains from Thailand. Both railways would like to reopen the border to passenger trains, possibly by mid-2023.

The experimental single railcar Phnom Penh International Airport service ceased during covid. Due to the track crossing the main road to the airport and running down the middle of another road before reversing to reach Phnom Penh, the times were not competitive with tuk-tuks or taxis.

Future Changes

A feasibility study to rebuild 382 km line from Phnom Penh to Poipet on the Thai border was submitted by China Road & Bridge Corp to the government on 24 January 2023. This evaluated the potential for electrification and regauging to 1435 mm to raise speeds to 160 km/h.

Obscure and Sparse Passenger Services

None known