Royal Railway Cambodia has signed an agreement to purchase 11 class 183 KiHa high-speed diesel multiple unit (DMU) cars from JR Hokkaido. The DMUs will provide service on the Phnom Penh–Poipet–Sihanoukville Railway, replacing the existing locomotive-hauled trains.
The KiHa 183 series trains are capable of a maximum speed of up to 110 km/hr. Each train can accommodate 64 passengers. The trains were originally operated on 1067-mm gauge lines in Japan, they will be adapted for Cambodia’s 1000-mm gauge railway network and are set to start operating in June 2024.
The Phnom Penh–Poipet line will span 382 km. It will be built at an investment of more than USD4 billion.
