I was delighted to see this article and video on the BBC this morning.
I went to Cambodia a few years ago and braved a slightly scary three hour ride in the back of an illegal taxi from the border to Siem Reap – because the transport links are so bad.
So I’m overjoyed to read the milestone news that the first section of Cambodia’s restored railway has been completed.
When there, I heard all kinds of rumours about airline companies paying people to keep the roads bad (and they are terrible). Vietnam and Thailand either side of Cambodia are well ahead on many levels. Understandably, given the setback Cambodia suffer post 30 years of war and subsequent genocide under the Khmer Rouge.
This gives hope that eventually Cambodia will enjoy the benefits of an efficient rail system. The project aims to connect Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) by 2015. This would mean the completion of an ‘iron silk road’ that would link the whole of South East Asia with Europe.
