The western rail line linking Phnom Penh to Poipet on the Thai border is scheduled for completion by the end of this year, according to a new dateline set in a report from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT). In its annual report, MPWT indicated that their priorities for the year are to finish the railway that connects the capital with Battambang and Poipet, and to finalize negotiations with Thailand over certain technical aspects of the project before the present year comes to an end. 130 kilometers of the railway still need to be repaired, with an estimated cost of $20mn. The Phnom PenhPoipet rail line is expected to play a key role in facilitating trade and the movement of people between Cambodia and Thailand, with leaders from both countries having publicly committed tripling bilateral trade to $15bn by the year 2020. (Source: Khmer Times)