Cambodia Accelerates Study for Phnom Penh Metro Project

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Dec. 2, 2025) — Cambodia’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport is accelerating efforts to collect input for a planned underground metro system in Phnom Penh, holding technical discussions with experts from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and government stakeholders.

State Secretary Leng Thunyutheachaired the meeting, joined by AIIB project team leader Jin Wang and senior officials from the ministries of Land Management and Urban Planning, Phnom Penh municipal authorities, and the Railway Department. The session reviewed progress on feasibility studies and examined preliminary route options for the capital’s first underground rail network.

The metro plan stems from a memorandum of understanding signed between the ministry and AIIB in Beijing in September 2024. Since March 2025, joint working groups have been conducting initial studies and consultations.

Following Monday’s meeting, AIIB experts and Cambodian officials visited key sites, including Phnom Penh’s bus stations, railway terminal, international airports, and new development zones, to assess potential alignments and priority corridors.

Officials stressed the study is part of broader urban transport planning, complementing earlier reviews of light rail, bus rapid transit, tramways and automated guide systems. The ministry said the metro study will provide a basis for selecting the most effective system to ease congestion, improve safety and preserve the city’s environment.