After a wait of 14 years,
passenger trains are once again running in Cambodia.
Train buffs will need no other excuse to get on board, but there are
good reasons why any traveler might like to let the train take the
strain.
Taking the train in Cambodia. Yes, they’re back!
Although
plans are in the works for a country-wide network, the train service is
currently limited to four destinations, running from
Phnom Penh via Takeo and Kampot, terminating in Sihanoukville.
This first foray into passenger trains runs only on weekends and public
holidays, matching domestic demand for the two popular Khmer holiday
destinations.
Taking the train in Cambodia
Two trains alternate on the tracks — the
Yellow Train and the Blue Train.
The seating set-up is slightly different (sideways or front-facing),
but both trains are air-conditioned and tickets are the same price.
Given that the rolling stock is refurbished from the 1960s, the
experience is more modern than you might expect. Carriages are
air-conditioned, the padded vinyl seats are newly upholstered and the
ride is surprisingly smooth. The toilet is clean and well provisioned — a
bum gun, paper towels and the ubiquitous Glade air freshener.
Announcements are made in Khmer and English by a man in a high-vis
jacket with a portable karaoke machine, bringing a personal touch to
customer information. Lingering suggestions of the original train —
pull-down windows, French language plaques, oscillating ceiling fans and
stencil-punched seat numbers — will please
lovers of retro train chic. The train stations, shabbily delightful hangovers from Cambodian history, are also worth a second look.
Any journey in Cambodia seems to be an excuse to eat. On board the
train, the ever-smiling assistant in her Royal Railways baseball cap
serves up instant Mama noodles and bottles of water to your seat on
request. Passengers can stock up on boiled eggs, cut pineapple and
mango, dried fish, and iced coffee at the station stops, which are
usually about 10 minutes each.
The Cambodian countryside from the window of the train.
Apart
from the novelty value, the biggest attraction to riding the train in
Cambodia is what you see out of the window. From Phnom Penh, the train
slowly chugs through communities which set up around the tracks when the
idea of a reestablished train service was only a daydream. Reach out a
hand and you could grab the laundry off the balconies. Vendors wait for
the train to pass so they can set up their stalls again, kids on
doorsteps wave or put their fingers in their ears, grandmas perched at a
noodle stall watch the passing carriages.
Within half an hour, the train is tooting through semi-countryside,
startling ducks into making a waddle for it to their lotus pond.
Arriving in the countryside proper, there’s a
picture postcard view of Cambodia
— wooden stilt houses sheltering under palms, surrounded by paddy
fields stretching back to crenelated hills. At small dusty crossings,
motorbikes and oxcarts wait at the nominal red and white striped
barriers. Closer to Kampot, limestone karsts shoot up from the flat
landscape while white Brahman cows and water buffalo stare transfixed at
the train. This is a perspective you don’t quite get traveling by road,
either because you’re going too fast or you have your eyes screwed
tightly shut!
The railway station architecture is outstanding. This is the Kampot station.
Why choose the train?
Getting out of Phnom Penh by road at any time of day except very
early morning is generally a hassle, due to the volume of traffic. Phnom
Penh train station is centrally located, easy to get to, and the train
cuts through the suburbs more quickly than buses or taxis.
A Royal Railways sign at the station informs passengers
“Never boarding late as the train never waits anyone.”
So far, the service has proved to be pretty reliable, more often
arriving early than late. Unlike buses, which often make a frustrating
number of stops to pick up passengers or drop off bags of mangoes, the
train is direct.
Whilst the average speed is somewhat slower than road vehicles, the
train travel time compares favorably with similarly priced buses (4.5
hours to Kampot, another two hours to Sihanoukville). If speed is of the
essence, the more expensive Giant Ibis buses or a private taxi will
likely get you from
Phnom Penh to Kampot more quickly, if more queasily.
The road to Sihanoukville does not have the best record for traffic
safety — frequent travelers expect to see an accident on almost every
journey between the capital and the beach. By traveling on the biggest
vehicle around, one that doesn’t engage in impossible overtaking
maneuvers on blind corners, you’ll probably feel a bit safer. And you
can avoid the traffic; some journeys from
Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville can be as much as seven hours by bus depending on what time of day you leave.
If you fancy taking your own transport with you, motorbikes and
bicycles can be transported on all trains for a $5 fee, and cars can
catch the Blue Train for $14.
Waitin’ for that train.
Tickets and Timetable
The ticket office at Phnom Penh station is open 8 a.m. until 4:30
p.m. Monday to Friday, and 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
You can also call 078 888 583 during the same hours, but
the easiest way to buy a ticket is in person. From Sihanoukville, Kampot or Takeo, enquire at the station.
The Friday train is generally less busy than the Saturday and Sunday
journeys, but it’s best to buy your ticket a couple of days in advance
to be sure of being able to travel. For public holidays, the earlier the
better, as trains only carry around 100 passengers each.
Scheduled train times are as follows, but do check at the station —
timetable alterations may be made as this new service develops.
For now, the train goes from Phnom Penh to Takeo, Kampot, and Sihanoukville, but there are plans to expand the network.
Updated as of December, 2016
Fridays
Phnom Penh 3 p.m., Takeo 4:30 p.m., Kampot 7:40 p.m., arrives Sihanoukville at 10 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays
Phnom Penh 7 a.m., Takeo 8:30 a.m., Kampot 11:40 a.m., arrives Sihanoukville at 2 p.m.
Sihanoukville 7 a.m., Kampot 8:40 a.m., Takeo 11:50 a.m., arrives Phnom Penh at 2 p.m.
Sundays only
Sihanoukville 4 p.m., Kampot 5:40 p.m., Takeo 8 p.m., arrives Phnom Penh 11 p.m.
Holidays
There is now expanded holiday coverage. Check out the train
schedule for 2016 holiday service.
Ticket prices:
Phnom Penh – Sihanoukville $7
Phnom Penh – Kampot $6
Phnom Penh – Takeo $4
Kampot – Phnom Penh $6
Kampot – Takeo $5
Kampot – Sihanoukville $4
Takeo – Phnom Penh $4
Takeo – Kampot $5
Takeo – Sihanoukville $7
Sihanoukville – Phnom Penh $7
Sihanoukville – Takeo $6
Sihanoukville – Kampot $4
Transportation
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