Cambodia is projected to build a 382 km long semi-high-speed railway, with an estimated cost of about 4 billion USD, from Phnom Penh, the capital, to Poipet, on the Thai border, by the end of 2024. The goal is to link Laos's Preah Sihanouk and Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City with this railway once it's finished.

Transportation by rail is more efficient and less expensive than shipping goods by road or sea, thus China has been pushing for increased rail commerce with Southeast Asian nations in recent years. China is interested in constructing a railway connection with many ASEAN nations, including Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Towards the year's end 2021, the railway that linked Vientiane, the capital of Laos, to Kunming, the most advanced city in China's Yunnan province, was properly launched. Upon completion of its thirteen months of service, the aforementioned railway has facilitated the transfer of 2.42 million tons of merchandise, valued at around 2.22 billion USD, between the two nations.

Marking a significant milestone, the first train transporting goods from Kunming, China to Thailand via the 1830 km long China-Laos-Thailand intermodal railway departed on February 7, 2023. As part of their long-planned trans-Asian railway, China has acquired this piece of land.

Along with this, the Cambodian government was also presented with a semi-high-speed railway proposal by China Road & Bridge Corp (CRBC) that would link the capital Phnom Penh to Poipet (the border with Thailand). The projected construction value of this 382 kilometer railway is up to 4 billion USD, which is over 15% of Cambodia’s GDP in 2021.

The proposal suggested by CRBC involves repairing the existing railway from 1000 mm to 1435 mm, increasing the maximum design speed to 160 km/h, according to Associate Professor Dr. Le Quan of Hanoi University of Transport. Because it improves economic efficiency and helps update the transportation infrastructure, the aforementioned plan has the full support of the Cambodian government.

As part of the plan, Cambodia is set to construct 300 overpasses at crossings, rehabilitate existing stations, and add 14 additional stations in phase 2. Construction of the Phnom Penh – Poipet and Phnom Penh – Sihanoukville railway projects is expected to commence after the general election on July 23, 2024, according to Prime Minister Hunsen. In addition, Cambodia is involved in research for two railway projects: Phnom Penh – Bavet, which would link Ho Chi Minh City, and Phnom Penh – Preah Sihanouk, which will run along the border with Laos.

Upon completion and operation of the aforementioned railway lines, rail traffic between China and ASEAN nations will be very busy. There will be ideal circumstances for the expansion of international commerce in products since a large quantity of items may be delivered across borders at lower prices and in less time. In light of this trend, Vietnam must act swiftly to evaluate the situation, grab chances, and grow its railway transport business and commerce in a timely manner.