Battambang’s bamboo train
Known locally as the norry, (or nori), the famous Bamboo Train is probably still Battambang’s best-known attraction and, after all these years, is still going strong. It’s been threatened with closure on several occasions, rerouted to avoid a new city bypass, put on hold while new track was lain and survived competition from a purpose-built, (and rather Disney-fied), alternative version.
The original track dates back to the French period and formed part of a line connecting Phnom Penh with Poipet on the Thai-Cambodian border but with wear and tear from the often brutal climate and bomb and mine damage from the years of war, the route was inoperable for several decades. With appalling or non-existent rural roads the disused train track formed an ideal means of connecting outlying villages to the city allowing relatively easy transportation of farm produce and passengers. Small motors were placed on bamboo platforms atop a pair of train bogies and the bamboo train was born.
Serendipitously, with the arrival of the first visitors in the late 90s and early 2000s, the norry proved to be a win-win as it quickly became apparent that the bamboo train was also a unique and hugely popular tourist attraction. The rest, as they say, is history.
The bamboo train never ceases to amuse visitors A freshly lain line, with upgraded rolling stock, was reopened around 2017 with a daily train scheduled in both directions, although when we inquired as to train times for Phnom Penh at Battambang railway station, the ticket seller rather disconcertingly burst out laughing and said ‘maybe 12 hours on a good day’. (There are still occasional trains but don’t worry if you meet one as the bamboo train can comfortably outrun it.)
Train driver taking the kid along for a ride Relaying of the track, as well as the construction of a new bypass linking the Pailin and border highway to route 5 for Phnom Penh, appeared to signal the end of the norries and a local businessman had the idea of recreating a purpose-built replacement. The new, concrete, circular track situated at the foot of Phnom Banan to the southwest of the city, involves a rather sedate ride on a chain of linked, bamboo carriages and to our mind, forms a very contrived and decidedly Disney-fied alternative experience. (We tried it once but never again.)
When two trains meet There is apparently a shorter ride along the old track – which we’ve never found or indeed looked for – but our starting point is O Sralao, a short ride southeast of Battambang city. The ‘service’ is run by a group of local families and, including the clutch of souvenir and drink stall vendors at the end of the line, provides a welcome, additional source of income for locals. (The train runs for about 15 minutes, after which you get out – buy the t-shirt and/or a fresh coconut while the driver turns the train around – and head back to the starting point. It has often been pointed out that the vendors, (and their kids), can be rather persistent but they are poor families, you’re not paying much for the train ride and the t-shirts are rather good!
The end of the line… During high season in particular, the train can get very busy, with late afternoon being the most popular time, so our choice is an early morning ride when the paddy-fields are looking their best, there’s plenty of birdlife around and – as the trains have no roofs – it’s still cool temperature-wise.
A ride on the bamboo train is included in our small group tour to Cambodia, Cambodia Overland and our Laos and Cambodia Indochina Adventure as well as our Cambodia and Vietnam tour and Cambodia and Thailand family tour.
