Friday 2 March 2012

Bamboo Train in Battambang

By Sanne

We caught the famous bamboo train in Battambang which is a mode of transport the locals have been using for years. It consists of two sets of train axles, a steel frame, a bamboo platform and powered by a small go-kart engine. It only goes for about 7 kms to a village and then turns back. It is not the most comfortable of rides on the overgrown and beaten-up railway tracks but it was pretty cool to have flown along the track at 40 kms/hour (although it actually feels like you're going quicker than that). As the track serves traffic coming from both directions the fun part comes when you encounter another train coming in the opposite direction. The rules then state that the car with the least amount of passengers/goods have to dissemble their car and get off the track and let the other one pass. It's a pretty quick affair for the drivers to do this as it is a very simple construction and soon you're on your way again.
Fun experience that probably won't be here for that much longer as the government are planning on building a new, modern railway that runs all the way to Phnom Penh.











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