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.
UIC code
alpha KH
National Railway Operator
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
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. From some time in September 2023 there are also 6 pairs SSuO from Phnom Penh to Samrong.
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
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 a 2km freight branch onwards to the end of rails in the docks] and 384.3km Phnom Penh station to Poipet, then there is 800m onwards to the River bridge border just before Ban Klong Luk Border station situated immediately on crossing into Thailand. The North and south lines share the first 9.4km from Phnom Penh before splitting at the east end of a sizeable triangle including a north to west freight avoiding line.
Other Railways
None
Tourist Lines
http://www.bambootrain.com/ was believed to have stopped operating from O Dambong II and O Sralov near Battambang as it was using the long closed but now refurbished and re-opened Royal Railway track, but a traveller advises a journey on the usual home made draisines was available in March 2023, probably very unofficially!! There is also a new "Bamboo Railway" built for Tourists near Banan in a Garden Centre/Theme Park, some 16km south of Battambang but it does not appear to have a website. Google Maps gives its location with links to numerous photographs and short videos that confirm it is purpose built on standard gauge fairground ride style rails using 4 wheeled flatbed carts with soft seats as a mimic of the "real" thing, running through the gardens and nearby hill scenery for about a 10 minute ride, possibly in a "balloon loop" layout.
Metro and light rail systems
None
Recent and Future Changes
Recent Changes
Six SSuO pairs between Phnom Penh and Samrong were introduced in Autumn 2023.
The line between Battambang via Sisophon to Poipet, on the border with Thailand, reopened for freight trains in 2018 [officially inaugurated on 22 April 2019] after it had fallen into disuse over previous decades. Articles at the time claimed the border had been closed to rail traffic for 45 years and in early 2023 the cross-border traffic was described as occasional car trains from Thailand.
The experimental single railcar Phnom Penh International Airport service ceased some time in July/August 2020 due to low passenger numbers during covid. Due to the track level crossing a six lane main road at the airport and running down the middle of another road for 1.5km before reversing to reach Phnom Penh, even when operating times were not competitive with tuk-tuks or taxis but despite the track grooves being filled with asphalt and the branch disconnected from the main line, officially the service remains "suspended" not closed.
Future Changes
Both Cambodian Royal Railways and the State Railways of Thailand have allegedly agreed to reopen their Poipet to Ban Klong Luk rail cross border line to passenger trains, and informed sources claimed this could happen in June 2023 with services continuing to Sisiphon for bus transfers to Siem Reap [for Angkor Wat]. This did not happen and note this would still leave a 47km gap in passenger service coverage from Sisiphon to Battambang.
A feasibility study to rebuild the 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 and to raise speeds to 160 km/h.
Obscure and Sparse Passenger Services
Battambang - Poipet
Allegedly on some days at Public Holidays the existing daily passenger service from Phnom Penh to Battambang is locomotive and coaches rather than its usual 2-car DMU and extended on freight only track via Sisophon to Poipet. It is assumed details are shown at the appropriate time on the Royal Railways Journey Planner. Plans to restore regular services are still awaiting resolution of trans-border issues. Report updated: September 2023
