New railway to connect Cambodia and Vietnam

July 27, 2011 | 07:56

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A new railway section connecting Cambodia with Vietnam will be built at an estimated cost of $686 million, transport officials said.

The 257-kilometre railway is part of larger rail system connecting six countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS).

The section will link Kampong Speu province’s Oudong district in Cambodia with Tay Ninh’s Loc Ninh district in southern Vietnam.

A Chinese firm began a $3-million feasibility study for the Kampong Speu-Vietnam railway in July 2009.

According to the study, the project is expected to facilitate trade and economic development among GMS countries, especially for agricultural and mining industries.

In 2008, China pledged $500 million to help fund the Cambodia-Vietnam railway project.

In 2009, the Cambodian government signed agreements with Royal Group and Australia’s Toll Holdings to set up a joint venture that would operate the entire railway service in Cambodia for 30 years, at a cost of $145 million.

Dtinews

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