Update 04 January 2013: Just got word that the cargo train is operating on a trial basis, but the passenger train will not be operational until later. You can read all about it HERE.
Update 30 December: It looks like there may be some passenger cars at the end of the train. Check out the still from a video a reader kindly provided a link to. You can watch the whole video, but it’s 15 minutes long and in Khmer.
This announcement almost got past me: Cambodia’s first commercial train begins operation appeared in the NZweek yesterday. It may not sound like exciting news, but it was exciting to me because a commercial train operating between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville is going to make an enormous difference in a number of ways.
Image from Skyscraper City. Click image for story
Just last week I got into a discussion with an Otres Beach bar/restaurant owner who had the mistaken opinion that our barang-style tourism was the lifeblood of Sihanoukville. When I mentioned the 2 Special Economic Zones in the province, the expansion of the port facilities and the plans to start oil production in Cambodia in the near future, his initial retort was disappointing, if not surprising. “All they have is a garment industry,” he replied and went on to say, “I heard they didn’t have enough offshore oil to make drilling viable.” Neither of these things was true, but they are part of the local expat mythology.
We went on to talk about the lack of infrastructure. There’s no question about the lack of existing infrastructure, but improving it is in the works. The commercial train is an important part of that infrastructure that will enable the increasing numbers of goods coming into the Port of Sihanoukville and from Phnom Penh to be transported more cheaply and efficiently. Just one side benefit from this will be a reduction in dangerous traffic on National Highway 4. As Minister of Public Works and Transport Tram Iv Tek said:
the new railway will bring a range of benefits to Cambodia. “It will lower the cost of staple commodities that poor Cambodian families depend on,”he said.”Also, it will improve road safety by taking dangerous cargoes, such as the fuel trucks driving between the oil terminal in Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh, off the roads.*
Meanwhile in the tourism sector, visitors to Cambodia topped 2.8 million in the first 10 months of 2012 and many more are finding their way to Sihanoukville than in the past. Sihanoukville is having trouble coping with them all, but is responding with the construction of dozens of new hotels and guesthouses of all sizes. The Sihanoukville Airport, too, just got $200 million dollars for an upgrade.
Another person I spoke with recently was frustrated by Sihanoukville’s relatively slow growth. Why wasn’t the needed infrastructure already in place? Why wasn’t the airport fully operational? I didn’t think of it at the time, but later it dawned on me to ask him why he had started such a small business instead of a large resort? The fact that he started a business at all and was striving to make it profitable was good and he was using his available resources wisely, but a large resort was beyond his means to build and beyond his level of expertise to manage. Similarly, Sihanoukville’s growth is within its current means and ability to manage. You really can’t ask for more.
Anyway, Cambodia’s first commercial train is just one more link in a chain of events that are transforming this once sleepy village into a major commercial and tourist centre. It’s a fascinating place to be living in and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be here to observe it all first-hand.
*quote taken from NZnews article cited in first sentence.
Still photo from video clip
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Rodney
January 24, 2013 at 9:21 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Sorry but couldn’t help myself,”the new railway will bring a range of benefits to Cambodia. “It will lower the cost of staple commodities that poor Cambodian families depend on,”he said. I just saw an elephant flying today; it seemed to have load of sky hooks on it’s back.
Cambo has the richest mineral, oil/gas deposits in Asia, even more oil than the Timor Gap. There were very big rare earth mineral mines operating when I was there in 2009 and some villagers were killed trying to resist eviction. Ever wonder why there are so many US NGOs there, and why does Australia have its largest Embassy in PP, high security with guards carrying assault rifles? Must be to ward off the girls from Martinis just down the road or the freelancers from Walkabout, equally close.
The new transport infrastructure is not targeted at tourism, but tourism might pay for it. The airport upgrade will be for mining resources and military reasons. Cambodia, the Myanmar experiment exported!
Rob
February 11, 2013 at 2:45 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
As far as I can tell, Cambodia is trying to remain neutral and maintains close ties with China as well as the US. This was a problem back in the post French colonial days, when the US decided to try and come in and fill the gap (If you can get your hands on it, read “My War with the CIA” by Norodom Sihanouk and Wilfred Burchett). Sometimes I worry that “regime change” may be on the agenda here, but there’s no evidence to suggest that the improvements in infrastructure are part of the plot, if there is one.
taureau
December 31, 2012 at 7:00 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Hello and thank you very much for this interesting news!
Progress is going on
Mongwin
December 29, 2012 at 3:48 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Here is the video clip of this news.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYk6WfrPXac
Rob
December 30, 2012 at 1:55 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Thanks!
Chris
December 29, 2012 at 6:29 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Hi Rob,
Thats good to hear. Will they eventually have a passenger service? I remember taking the VERY slow train from Sville to PP many years ago. It took over 10 hours but you did get some great views of the countryside from the train roof!
Chris
Rob
December 29, 2012 at 8:03 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
I don’t know! That picture looked like it included passenger cars, but it may have been just a background prop. I would definitely give it a try just for the experience.
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January 26, 2013 at 10:29 am (UTC 0) Link to this comment
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