In an effort at promote the Kingdoms railways, Prime Minister Hun Sen will travel from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville by train on April 30, and has promised to post many pictures of his travels on Facebook.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Friday, the premier said he will be accompanied to Sihanoukville by Minister of Public Works and Transport Sun Chanthol.
I want to see how good, comfortable Cambodias train is. I want to promote transportation by train, the prime minister said.
After several years of renovation of both the southern train line from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville and the northern line from Phnom Penh to Banteay Meanchey province, the southern line was opened to the public on April 9.
According to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport website, Mr. Chanthol also met Royal Railway CEO John Guiry on Friday to discuss the railways ongoing operations.
Mr. Guiry said that trains from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville run three days a week, from Friday to Sunday, leaving the station in Phnom Penh at 7 am and taking about seven hours to reach Sihanoukville, stopping first in Takeo and Kampot provinces.
Mr. Guiry said the trains five cars have combined seating for about 200. Standard cars are equipped with fans, while VIP cars sport air-conditioners. The train runs daily, but Monday through Thursday operates solely as a means of transporting freight; this service, however, is not yet entirely smooth.
The minister promised to work closely with Royal Railway to improve train services with the aim of reducing the price of transportation in Cambodia, the ministry website reads.
During the cabinet meeting, Mr. Chanthol also discussed expediting the renovation process of the northern line from Phnom Penh to the Cambodia-Thai border at Poipet.
The 266 kilometers of the southern line from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville was out of service for three decades before being restored by Royal Railway, which has a concession from the government to operate the line for 30 years.
Mr. Hun Sen said that on May 1, he will meet Cambodian workers at the Sihanoukville port to celebrate International Labor Day.
Following the success of a Khmer New Year trial run earlier this month, Royal Railway will begin offering regular weekend service between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville on Saturday, with stops in the provinces of Takeo and Kampot.
Royal Railway restarted passenger service between the capital and the coast on April 10 after a 14-year hiatus and sold 2,250 tickets over the course of an eight-day trial period, according to CEO John Guiry.
Pleased by the popularity of the routewhich is slower, but cheaper than other overland transport optionsthe company will on Saturday commence regular weekend and holiday service, Mr. Guiry said.
The short and long of it is that it seems the public is warming to the idea, he said, adding that he was confident that demand for rail travel would remain high.
We did the numbers and determined that between first timers traveling down to the coast for the first time, and those who will use the service regularly, that it will work.
While the trains will run from Saturday through Monday this coming weekend to accommodate the Labor Day holiday on MondayPrime Minister Hun Sen is expected aboard late King Norodom Sihanouks wood-paneled royal car on Saturdaythey will operate from Friday through Sunday in the future.
We have sold lots of tickets for Saturday without really advertising, and most people probably dont know Hun Sen is traveling, Mr. Guiry said.
Most weekends, the companys two trainsone air-conditioned, one fan-cooledwill depart Phnom Penh at 7 a.m. on Friday and make four trips along the 266-km line each.
Tickets from Phnom Penh to Takeo, Kampot and Sihanoukville will cost $4, $5 and $6, respectively.
Nou Sophal, director of the Preah Sihanouk provincial tourism department, said the announcement of regular rail services was good news for Sihanoukville, whose beaches and bars are popular among both domestic and foreign visitors.
With the prime minister coming by train for the first time, it represents that it is a safe way to travel and shows that it is a good service for tourists, he said.
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