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Workers check the train tracks during an inspection at Phnom Penh railway station in 2012. Hong Menea
Passenger train services to resume
Wed, 2 March 2016
Sor Chandara
Passenger trains are set to roll between the capital and the coast next month for the first time in 14 years, a railway official said yesterday.
Sam Oeun Tith, commercial manager of Royal Railway, which holds a 30-year concession to operate the country’s railways, said the company plans to run passenger trains along the 266-kilometer “Southern Line†from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville starting in April.
“We hope it will be the start of a new history after not having passenger trains for many years,†he said. “We plan to run a passenger-only train before Khmer New Year [April 13-16]. The [timing] was selected to reduce road traffic during the holiday and reduce traffic accidents.â€
Oeun Tith said passenger trains operating on this route would carry about 400 people in five carriages divided by class, with regular carriages cooled by fans and plush VIP carriages offering air-conditioning.
The journey will take around eight hours averaging 33 km/h, with ticket prices yet to be determined – though he insists the company is aiming to make it “cheaper than the bus service.â€
Passenger train service between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville was suspended in 2002 after years of operating losses that saw both the rail line and its equipment fall into disrepair.
Freight traffic on the line ceased shortly after.
The Southern Line reopened to commercial traffic in 2013 after extensive rehabilitation. It is currently used to transport fuel, coal, cement and container shipments, according to Royal Railway.
Oeun Tith said in addition to launching regular passenger trains in April, the company also intends to offer a private charter service.
“The company has plans to provide a service for clients to rent the train for private tours to enjoy the scenery along the way to Sihanoukville,†he said, adding that pricing would be disclosed soon.
Ang Kim Eang, president of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, said the resumption of passenger rail service would give domestic and foreign travellers an alternative to the 3-4 hour road trip on National Road 4.
“The road to Sihanoukville is busy and damaged,†he said. “If we have passenger train service, it will be a good option. We are ready to promote it and sell tour packages.â€
While Kim Eang said eight hours was a long trip, he was confident travellers seeking a new experience would use the rail service.
“We’ve waited a very long time to provide more transport options for travellers,†he said. “In Europe and China, trains attract a lot of attention from tourists. Even if ours is slower [than buses,] it will attract people.â€
So, Chan has been wanting to go for a ride on the Bamboo Train for ages, almost since we first met. Yesterday, we took a ride. $5.00 US per head. Unfortunately, the guys who take you only earn 1,500 Riel ($1.25 USD) for each (round) trip. The rest goes to the government and police. Go figure. So, if you end up taking one of those trips, please tip the guy (or girl) who takes you.
For me, it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the entire trip. For Chan, though, she was scared that we were going to derail somewhere along the way. I will admit, the tracks do get a bit jerky. And, many of the rail joints are not exactly lined up properly. Of course, lack of maintenance over time, does tend to cause such things.
My trusty driver, Kamnat, says they are supposed to stop the Bamboo Train this coming July, to refurbish the tracks so proper trains can begin using the tracks again. Of course, they have been saying this for ages. So, who knows?
A view of the rooftops of Penh Penh during Thursday night’s blackout. thomas cristofoletti/ruom
The night the lights went out
Sat, 28 November 2015
Phak Seangly and Shaun Turton
Underscoring Cambodia’s heavy dependence on imported electricity, the lights went out not just in Phnom Penh but across provinces nationwide on Thursday, an unprecedented blackout that Prime Minister Hun Sen said was caused by an electrical fault in neighbouring Vietnam.
Between about 10pm and 11pm, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Battambang, Preah Sihanouk and several other provinces lost power, just as revellers in the capital were enjoying the last hours of Water Festival.
“As the government’s leader, I am very sorry and would like to confirm to citizens that the power outage is not the sign of a terrorist attack or any other incident besides the electrical outage,†the premier said, in a speech broadcast on his Facebook soon after the blackout.
Hun Sen said though Cambodia has a contract allowing it to buy 200 megawatts from Vietnam, it was currently using just 150 megawatts of that to power Phnom Penn and other provinces.
“When the electricity in Vietnam was disconnected, it was disconnected here too,†he said, adding that about 50 per cent of imported power was consumed by the capital.
According to state energy provider Electricite du Cambodge (EdC) president Keo Rattanak, the blackout also affected Banteay Meanchey, Kampong Chhnang, Pursat, Kampong Cham, Kampot and Kampong Thom provinces.
Rattanak said EdC engineers worked all night to restore power, though some outages still remained until yesterday morning. He said his Vietnamese counterparts had traced the fault to a 230-kilovolt transmission line.
Rattanak said in addition to the 150 megawatts from Vietnam, Cambodia had the capacity to generate at least 350 megawatts of power domestically to meet energy demands.
Though it is focusing on developing hydropower plants and last year opened its first coal-fired power station, Cambodia relies heavily on imported fuel and electricity for energy security, and its electricity costs are among the highest in the world.
According to the latest report from the Electricity Authority of Cambodia, the country used more than 3 billion kilowatt hours of electricity in 2014, with more than half imported from neighbouring countries, including about 1.3 billion kilowatt hours from Vietnam.
San Vibol, an energy researcher at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, said he was surprised at how severely a disruption of supply from Vietnam affected Cambodia’s power grid, adding that it was a reminder that more needed to be done to ensure the country’s energy security.
“Many countries import their power from other countries … the problem is how reliable it is. At the moment, it is not stable. Just look at last night, a black night in Cambodia.
“It’s the second time [since a 2013 Phnom Penh blackout]. The government should think about that, it can cause a lot of problems if we are going to face this again and again.â€