Travel Tuesday’s: Cambodian Train
Since I have been in Cambodia I have been amazed at the train (singular) they have here! It takes 13 hours to go on any of the two lines (a distance which takes 3-4 hours by car) which means the train is probably only moving at 10-15 kph. The Khmer Rouge regularly attacked the train from 1975 until 1998 and many people were killed and the lines suffered serious damage. The tracks are not level or in line causing each car to sway violently. When the lines were being attacked they would put two extra cars at the front of the engine which would take the brunt of explosions (IED’s). Anyone could ride there for free! It was usually full. In the back “passenger cars” (Hammocks strung in cattle cars) the price was only $0.25-50.
The engine: left over from the 1950’s
The passenger cars
They are building a new train line now. I think I will miss the old one as it waddled slowly through town every morning and back the next day.
