Rail freight services begin
Railway freight services between Phnom Penh and Touk Meas commune, in Kampot province’s Banteay Meas district, the location of a Siam Cement factory about 40 kilometres north of Kampot town, began yesterday, finally putting the Toll Royal Railways concession on an earning basis. According to Toll Royal Railways CEO David Kerr, the service will extend to Kampot town by the end of September and all the way to the Sihanoukville port by the end of this year. … While he would not give prices for Toll Royal’s freight rates, Kerr said they were competitive with road trucking rates and that each train would take more than 50 trucks off the road. … While Toll Royal Railways is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the railway, the rehabilitation of the line is provided by a French company called TSO, which is contracted to Cambodia’s Ministry of Public Works, with financing provided by the Asian Development Bank, AusAID, the OPEC Fund of International Development, the Cambodian government and a grant from the Malaysian government. …
