Cambodia : Greater Mekong Subregion: Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project

Sovereign Project | 37269-023

The original project is rehabilitating and restructuring the railway in Cambodia. In addition to this, the supplementary financing will be used to (i) establish a new freight and rolling stock maintenance facility at Samrong, 10 kilometers west of Phnom Penh, with sufficient space to meet future multimodal transport requirements; (ii) upgrade or strengthen parts of the main line to enable early initiation of integrated multimodal services; and (iii) establish additional sidings to terminals to facilitate multimodal connectivity. The combination of the original project and the supplementary financing will be referred to as the modified project. The key activities for implementing the new facility at Samrong include design of the facility; procurement of contracts; preparation, approval, and implementation of the resettlement plan for the area; and implementation of works.

Project Name Greater Mekong Subregion: Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project
Project Number 37269-023
Country / Economy Cambodia
Project Status Closed
Project Type / Modality of Assistance Grant
Loan
Source of Funding / Amount
Grant 0187-CAM: Greater Mekong Subregion: Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project
Government of Australia US$ 21.50 million
Loan 2602-CAM: Greater Mekong Subregion: Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project
Asian Development Fund US$ 42.00 million
Grant 0187-CAM: Greater Mekong Subregion: Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project - Support for Expanded Income Restoration Program
Government of Australia US$ 960,000.00
Strategic Agendas Inclusive economic growth
Regional integration
Drivers of Change Gender Equity and Mainstreaming
Partnerships
Sector / Subsector

Transport / Rail transport (non-urban)

Gender Some gender elements
Description The original project is rehabilitating and restructuring the railway in Cambodia. In addition to this, the supplementary financing will be used to (i) establish a new freight and rolling stock maintenance facility at Samrong, 10 kilometers west of Phnom Penh, with sufficient space to meet future multimodal transport requirements; (ii) upgrade or strengthen parts of the main line to enable early initiation of integrated multimodal services; and (iii) establish additional sidings to terminals to facilitate multimodal connectivity. The combination of the original project and the supplementary financing will be referred to as the modified project. The key activities for implementing the new facility at Samrong include design of the facility; procurement of contracts; preparation, approval, and implementation of the resettlement plan for the area; and implementation of works. Strengthening and upgrading of track does not require additional design or resettlement, activities consist primarily of the installation of heavier rails and new sleepers. Installation of additional sidings to terminals requires additional design and minor resettlement. The outcome would be a selectively upgraded railway in Cambodia exceeding the rehabilitation envisaged in the original project, enabling early takeoff of an integrated, railway-based, multimodal transport system.
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy

The private sector concessionaire selected for the railway in Cambodia is a large international logistics firm that operates worldwide. The concessionaire has proposed a business plan that would not only develop railway traffic, but also integrate the railway into a seamless regional multimodal transport system with the railway providing the medium- and long-distance backbone for links between dedicated terminals in Cambodia and Thailand, and to destinations in southern Viet Nam. This plan would elevate Cambodia from a subregionally connected local transport market into a subregional hub in the southern Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). Achieving hub status could create significant additional long-term development opportunities in Cambodia in areas such as logistic services (warehousing, packaging, and forwarding) and manufacturing (assembly and production of components). It would also generate substantial subregional benefits by enabling the streamlining and rationalization of supply lines, which are essential to achieving and maintaining international competitiveness.

Establishing integrated logistics services based on the railway would be an early realization of the commitment that GMS leaders made at the 2008 summit in Vientiane to expand the GMS economic corridor network through multimodal links. It would also enhance the original objectives of the rehabilitation project by upgrading railway transport from a supplier of transport services to a supplier of complete logistics solutions. This would improve transport efficiency and the integration of Cambodia into the southern GMS. In the medium term, this transformation would strengthen trade and integration, and enhance the GMS countries' collective competitiveness and economic development potential.

Impact

Increase in domestic and regional trade movement on the railway

Project Outcome
Description of Outcome

The railway is sustainable and efficiently operated.

Progress Toward Outcome The Southern line from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville is completed. The section between Phnom Penh and Touk Meas was re-opened in October 2010, and the section between Touk Meas and Sihanoukville was re-opened in December 2012. About 30 trains circulate each week on the line, carrying fuel, cement and bagged rice in containers. All these will increase as the rail business is expanding. In the first full year of operation in 2013, the railway carried 393,000 tons of freight on the Southern Line, three times higher than the average level before the project. The Port Authority of Sihanoukville recorded an 85% increase in rice exports in 2013, much of it traveling to the port via the newly revived Southern Line. In addition, sending goods by rail has removed almost 700 trucks journeys round trip every week from the National Highways. In 2014, the operation of the Southern Line generated rail freight volume amounting to nearly 500,000 tons, giving it an overall rail freight market share of 11%. The major traffic contributors for the railway are bulk fuel, rice, and coal which collectively accounted for more than 70% of the total freight volume in 2014. The total volume of containerized rice exports in 2014 was reported by the Cambodian Rice Exporters' Association as 387,061 tons and the railway concessionaire has secured almost one quarter of this market. Northern line - of the 48 km of missing link between Sisophon to Poipet (Thai border), about 42 km is completed; and 23 km from Phnom Penh bifurcation to Bat Deong is completed. The contractor stopped the work in June 2012 and negotiations to resume the works failed. The Government has prepared Plan B to complete priority works with the available funds on the Southern Line, which is now complete. Northern line - of the 48 km of missing link between Sisophon to Poipet (Thai border), about 42 km is completed; and 23 km from Phnom Penh bifurcation to Bat Deong is completed. The contractor stopped the work in June 2012 and negotiations to resume the works failed. The Government has prepared Plan B to complete priority works with the available funds on the Southern Line, which is now complete.
Implementation Progress
Description of Project Outputs

Railway link to Thailand reconstructed

Rail links to Sihanoukville port and the port in Phnom Penh rehabilitated and extended

Freight facilities in Samrong and Phnom Penh constructed

Railway department staffed and operational

Affected households living within the railway ROW and stations satisfactorily compensated and assisted

Status of Implementation Progress (Outputs, Activities, and Issues)

About 42 km completed.

The Sihanoukville container terminal and the railway track at the Sihanoukville port are complete.

The Government requested removal of the Samrong Intermodal Terminal. An amendment to the project scope has been approved by the ADB Board on 3 october 2014. As a short-term alternative to the intermodal terminal planned for Samrong, the Concessionaire has constructed a hard stand facility at the CWT Dry Port in Phnom Penh, which is now being used for loading and unloading of train cargo.

Railway Department's capacity building programs to be

able to manage concession is completed.

This is now taken out of the Project scope, upon request of the Government.

Geographical Location Mittakpheap District, Ou Chrov District, Paoy Pet, Prampi Makara, Serei Saophoan, Sihanoukville, Sisophon
Safeguard Categories
Environment B
Involuntary Resettlement A
Indigenous Peoples C
Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects
Environmental Aspects

The railway alignment is outside environmentally sensitive areas such as national parks and other protected areas and their buffer zones and the proposed Project falls into environmental category B. The additional works to be implemented under the modified project do not introduce new or significantly different environmental impacts, since they are largely contained within or close to the areas already assessed under the original project's IEE. The implementation of the Project is not expected to cause significant environmental impacts. Other components will consist of rehabilitation of existing siding and construction of relatively short spans of siding/spur lines from the existing main line. Appropriate mitigation measures during pre-construction, construction, and operation phases have been identified, implementation of which will minimize the negative impacts of the Project to acceptable levels.

Involuntary Resettlement

The original project was formulated to minimize potential risks related to involuntary resettlement. The scope of the modified project, which included the construction of a new freight facility at Samrong, has been amended to remove the Samrong freight facilities, and instead include priority works for the Southern Line to improve operating speed and safety. These works are not expected to have resettlement impacts.

The draft resettlement plan is updated, agreed, and implemented prior to civil works. An expanded income restoration program is being implemented which provides credit for business expansion through a community development fund and gives grants for emergencies through a social safety nets fund. The funds are provided to self-help groups in relocation sites.

The resettlement implementation has been subject to the two accountability mechanism processes. The Office of the Special Project Facilitator has addressed the issues of complainants and the case was close in 2014. As a result of the findings of the Compliance Review Panel, the Board made recommendations in January 2014. On the basis of these recommendations, remedial actions have been agreed by Government and are currently being implemented.

Indigenous Peoples The socioeconomic survey indicated that the original project is not expected to affect ethnic minority groups any differently than the majority Khmers. ADB's Policy on Indigenous Peoples (1998) is not triggered.
Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation
During Project Design With respect to involuntary resettlement, the government has held public consultation meetings; distributed public information booklets in the Khmer language to all affected households; and placed copies of the resettlement plan, translated into Khmer language, in the affected commune offices.
During Project Implementation

During the updating and implementation of the resettlement plan, consultations and information dissemination continued with affected persons consistent with the projects participatory approach. The affected households were made fully aware of their rights through verbal and written means during resettlement planning, updating, and implementation. In addition, the HIV/AIDS prevention program includes community participation during design and implementation.

Consultations are also being undertaken by the Government since 2014 as part of remedial actions from Board Recommendations based on the findings of the Compliance Review Panel (CRP).

The CRP annual monitoring report published in April 2015 concludes partial compliance of recommendations 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 and not in compliance, as yet, on recommendation 5 (debt workout). ADB is working closely with the Government on compliance aspects according to the agreed timeframe.

The second annual monitoring mission by CRP was undertaken in April 2016.

Business Opportunities
Consulting Services The consultants are selected by the Government in accordance with ADB's Guidelines on the Use of Consulting Services, using the quality and cost based selection procedure.
Procurement The works are procured under the international competitive bidding procedures of ADB's Guidelines on Procurement.
Responsible ADB Officer Sakai, Tsuneyuki
Responsible ADB Department Southeast Asia Department
Responsible ADB Division Transport and Communications Division, SERD
Executing Agencies
Ministry of Public Works and Transport
Timetable
Concept Clearance 13 May 2009
Fact Finding 29 Jul 2009 to 07 Aug 2009
MRM 10 Sep 2009
Approval 15 Dec 2009
Last Review Mission -
PDS Creation Date 03 Jul 2010
Last PDS Update 30 Sep 2016

Grant 0187-CAM

Milestones
Approval Signing Date Effectivity Date Closing
Original Revised Actual
15 Dec 2009 05 Oct 2010 05 Jan 2011 30 Sep 2013 31 Mar 2015 20 Apr 2016
Financing Plan Grant Utilization
Total (Amount in US$ million) Date ADB Others Net Percentage
Project Cost 22.46 Cumulative Contract Awards
ADB 0.00 17 Jun 2022 0.00 21.20 94%
Counterpart 0.00 Cumulative Disbursements
Cofinancing 22.46 17 Jun 2022 0.00 21.20 94%
Status of Covenants
Category Sector Safeguards Social Financial Economic Others
Rating Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Satisfactory Partly satisfactory - Satisfactory

Loan 2602-CAM

Milestones
Approval Signing Date Effectivity Date Closing
Original Revised Actual
15 Dec 2009 02 Mar 2010 21 Apr 2010 30 Sep 2013 30 Jun 2016 01 Nov 2016
Financing Plan Loan Utilization
Total (Amount in US$ million) Date ADB Others Net Percentage
Project Cost 47.10 Cumulative Contract Awards
ADB 42.00 17 Jun 2022 35.57 0.00 100%
Counterpart 5.10 Cumulative Disbursements
Cofinancing 0.00 17 Jun 2022 35.57 0.00 100%
Status of Covenants
Category Sector Safeguards Social Financial Economic Others
Rating Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory - Satisfactory

Project Data Sheets (PDS) contain summary information on the project or program. Because the PDS is a work in progress, some information may not be included in its initial version but will be added as it becomes available. Information about proposed projects is tentative and indicative.

The Access to Information Policy (AIP) recognizes that transparency and accountability are essential to development effectiveness. It establishes the disclosure requirements for documents and information ADB produces or requires to be produced.

The Accountability Mechanism provides a forum where people adversely affected by ADB-assisted projects can voice and seek solutions to their problems and report alleged noncompliance of ADB's operational policies and procedures.

In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of, or reference to, a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area.

Title Document Type Document Date
Greater Mekong Subregion: Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project: Project Completion Report Project/Program Completion Reports Sep 2021
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Thirteenth Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions (Khmer Translation) Progress Reports Oct 2018
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Twelfth Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions (Khmer Translation) Progress Reports Aug 2017
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Twelfth Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions Progress Reports Jul 2017
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Eleventh Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions (Khmer Translation) Progress Reports Apr 2017
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Eleventh Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions Progress Reports Mar 2017
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Tenth Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions (Khmer Translation) Progress Reports Dec 2016
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Tenth Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions Progress Reports Dec 2016
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Ninth Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions (Khmer Translation) Progress Reports Sep 2016
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Ninth Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions Progress Reports Sep 2016
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Eighth Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions (Khmer Translation) Progress Reports Jun 2016
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Eighth Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions Progress Reports Jun 2016
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Seventh Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions Progress Reports Feb 2016
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Seventh Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions (Khmer Translation) Progress Reports Feb 2016
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Sixth Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions Progress Reports Oct 2015
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Sixth Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions (Khmer Translation) Progress Reports Oct 2015
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Fifth Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions (Khmer translation) Progress Reports Jul 2015
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Fifth Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions Progress Reports Jul 2015
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Fourth Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions (Khmer Translation) Progress Reports Apr 2015
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Fourth Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions Progress Reports Apr 2015
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Third Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions Progress Reports Feb 2015
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Third Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions (Khmer Translation) Progress Reports Feb 2015
Greater Mekong Subregion: Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project: Project Data Sheet (Khmer Translation) Translated PDS Feb 2015
Amendment to the Loan Agreement for Loan 2602-CAM: GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project - Supplementary Loan Agreement (Special Operations) Dec 2014
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Second Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions Progress Reports Oct 2014
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Second Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions (Khmer Translation) Progress Reports Oct 2014
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Major Change in Project Change in Scope, Amount, and Implementation Arrangements Sep 2014
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Major Change in Project (Khmer Translation) Change in Scope, Amount, and Implementation Arrangements Sep 2014
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: First Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions Progress Reports Jul 2014
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: First Quarterly Progress Report on the Remedial Actions (Khmer Translation) Progress Reports Jul 2014
Greater Mekong Subregion: Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project Procurement Plans Mar 2014
Holding Statement: Cambodia Railway Rehabilitation Project - Complaint Filed to Australian Human Rights Commission Documents Produced Under Grant/Loans/TA Oct 2012
Second Amendment to the Grant Agreement for GMS: Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project - Supplementary Project between Kingdom of Cambodia and Asian Development Bank dated 14 May 2012 Grant Agreement May 2012
Amendment to the Grant Agreement for GMS: Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project - Supplementary Project between Kingdom of Cambodia and Asian Development Bank dated 04 July 2011 Grant Agreement Jul 2011
Amendment to the Loan Agreement for GMS: Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project - Supplementary between Kingdom of Cambodia and Asian Development Bank dated 04 July 2011 Loan Agreement (Special Operations) Jul 2011
Grant Agreement for Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project - Supplementary Project between Kingdom of Cambodia and Asian Development Bank dated 5 October 2010 Grant Agreement Oct 2010
Loan Agreement for GMS: Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project - Supplementary between Kingdom of Cambodia and Asian Development Bank dated 2 March 2010 Loan Agreement (Special Operations) Jan 2010
Greater Mekong Subregion: Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project Reports and Recommendations of the President Nov 2009

Safeguard Documents See also: Safeguards
Safeguard documents provided at the time of project/facility approval may also be found in the list of linked documents provided with the Report and Recommendation of the President.

Title Document Type Document Date
Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Environmental Monitoring Report No. 35 (October 2014) Environmental Monitoring Reports Oct 2014
Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: Environmental Monitoring Report No. 34 (September 2014) Environmental Monitoring Reports Sep 2014
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project: Environmental Monitoring Report No. 33 Environmental Monitoring Reports Jun 2014
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project: Environmental Monitoring Report No. 32 Environmental Monitoring Reports May 2014
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project: Environmental Monitoring Report No. 31 Environmental Monitoring Reports Apr 2014
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project: Environmental Monitoring Report No. 30 Environmental Monitoring Reports Mar 2014
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project: Environmental Monitoring Report No. 29 Environmental Monitoring Reports Feb 2014
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project: Environmental Monitoring Report No. 28 Environmental Monitoring Reports Jan 2014
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project: Environmental Monitoring Report No. 27 Environmental Monitoring Reports Dec 2013
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project: Environmental Monitoring Report No. 26 Environmental Monitoring Reports Nov 2013
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project: Environmental Monitoring Report No. 25 Environmental Monitoring Reports Oct 2013
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project: Environmental Monitoring Report No. 24 Environmental Monitoring Reports Sep 2013
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia: 17th Social Monitoring Report Social Monitoring Reports May 2012
GMS Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project: 16th Social Monitoring Report Social Monitoring Reports Feb 2012
Greater Mekong Subregion: Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project: 14th and 15th Social Monitoring Report Social Monitoring Reports Nov 2011

Evaluation Documents See also: Independent Evaluation

Title Document Type Document Date
Cambodia: Greater Mekong Subregion: Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project Validations of Project Completion Reports May 2022

Related Publications

None currently available.


The Access to Information Policy (AIP) establishes the disclosure requirements for documents and information ADB produces or requires to be produced in its operations to facilitate stakeholder participation in ADB's decision-making. For more information, refer to the Safeguard Policy Statement, Operations Manual F1, and Operations Manual L3.

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  • 08 Feb 2012 | Photo Essay

    Moving On to Better Lives in Cambodia

    As Cambodia revives an old rail network, people who used to reside along the railways now enjoy better living conditions in new resettlement sites.
  • 01 Feb 2012 | Project Result / Case Study

    Cambodia Railway Resettlement

    Cambodia's largest ever relocation program is a challenging operation that is starting to deliver on its promise of a better life for affected people.
  • 22 Oct 2010 | Article

    Cambodia: Bamboo Railways Give Way to Iron Silk Road

    A new regional railway brings hope for growth to Cambodians, and reminds older Cambodians of prosperous times before recent decades of conflict. Pursat, Cambodia - Cambodia's rail lines tell the story of the country's turbulent history. In Pursat, grandmother Uch Thorn remembers back to the 1950s and 1960s, when she was a young woman, and giant steam engines rumbled past her village. "Back then the rail service was good. Lots of people traveled on the trains, and we had nice stations," says Thorn.

Tenders

No tenders for this project were found.

Contracts Awarded

No contracts awarded for this project were found

Procurement Plan

Title Document Type Document Date
Greater Mekong Subregion: Rehabilitation of the Railway in Cambodia Project Procurement Plans Mar 2014