Thailand-Cambodia Rail Link Revived After Decades to Boost Trade

(Bloomberg) -- Thailand and Cambodia have revived a cross-border train link after 45 years to boost trade, investment and tourism, the Thai military government said.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha and Cambodian premier Hun Sen presided over the formal opening of the 6.4-kilometer (4-mile) track and a so-called friendship bridge on Monday and rode across the border on a train.

The link was first opened for daily services in 1941 and closed down in 1974. Cambodia plans to run the connection to the capital Phnom Penh eventually.

Total trade between Thailand and Cambodia climbed about 36 percent to 245 billion baht ($7.7 billion) last year, according to Bank of Thailand data.

To contact the reporter on this story: Suttinee Yuvejwattana in Bangkok at suttinee1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Sunil Jagtiani at sjagtiani@bloomberg.net, Tony Jordan

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