China train firm still eyeing rail potential

The company behind Cambodia’s mysterious $9.6 billion railway is back in town, this time they are considering the feasibility of another railway project.

In January 2013, the China Railway Group Limited announced a $9.6 billion railway line to run from Preah Vihear province in the north to Koh Kong province in the south.

Shrouded in secrecy, construction of the 400-kilometre line is yet to begin.

President of the organisations subsidiary, China Railway International Group, Lu Bo met with the Minister of Commerce Sun Chanthol on Wednesday saying his firm wants to do a feasibility study on another railway in Cambodia, a post on the ministry’s Facebook page states.

Chanthol urged the company to submit a project proposal to the government. No further details were given, nor was the 2013 project mentioned.

The Commerce Ministry could not be reached yesterday.

Ly Borin, head of railroads at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport said he had not spoken to China railway on their recent visit and did not know the status of the north-south railway.

“As far as I know, the company doesn’t have enough money,” he said. “Right now, I don’t know what happened about the project.“