A railway network connecting Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam via regional rail lines is expected to be endorsed in Vietnam by representatives from the countries, the Asian Development Bank said.
The plan includes an option to use existing lines to connect Bangkok with Phnom Penh, and Nanning with Kunming.
The plan says the route between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh, the only missing link on the line, would require $1.09bn for completion, excluding the $7bn additional funds needed to upgrade the existing lines.
The Mekong regional rail network implementation will mark the first step towards an integrated railway system in the region, which could carry 3.2 million passengers by 2025.
