City to Airport Rail Link

KHMER TIMES
CHEA VANNAK

It is only a matter of time before a railway links the city to the airport with passengers able to avoid Phnom Penh’s notorious traffic congestions. KT/Chor Sokunthea

A railway linking Phnom Penh to its international airport is being planned, with passengers getting the chance to check in baggage and get boarding passes before they get on the train.

The line would join the Phnom Penh to Preah Sihanouk track which runs past the airport.

The Transport and Public Works Ministry said the proposal was an effort to make it easy for passengers to avoid traffic congestion in the city.

“We are carrying out studies and if they show that the project is technically viable we will implement it immediately,” Minister Sun Chanthol said.

He said also that the ministry is working with Toll Royal Railways to build the section of track between the existing line and the airport, about a kilometer away. Toll Royal Railways holds a 30-year concession to operate Cambodia’s rail network.

The ministry said airport operator Societe Concessionnaire de l’Aeroport (SCA), also known as Cambodia Airports, was seeking the right place inside the airport for the train stop.

SCA confirmed the plan and its communications director Khek Norida said yesterday that the project is at a preliminary stage.

Mr. Norida said SCA was focusing on how to achieve smooth access to the airport.

“Multi-modal transportation and a fast and smooth access to the airport and the city are key priorities,” he added. “That is why we have been exchanging ideas and input with the initiators of the project.”

The country’s civil aviation body – the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation – said it supports the project which would help passengers avoid traffic congestion in the city.

“It is necessary to have transport such as a railway to the airport,” spokesman Sin Chansereyvutha said. “If we look at other countries in the regions they already have this. We wish to see the project come to reality soon.”

Ho Vandy, secretary general of Cambodia National Tourism Alliance, said a train connection to the airport will be important due to its capacity to carry many passengers.

The ministry and Toll Royal Railways are also studying the feasibility of building a track to Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone (PPSEZ) which will make it easier to carry thousands of workers to the zone and to transport goods to the port.

“Once we have a railway connection to PPSEZ, we will be able to reduce traffic accidents involving workers,” Mr. Chanthol said.