There is no train from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (yet)

Big Buddha begins in Bokor, Metro Manila Subway construction begins, the Bang Sue signboard scandal, and the proposed Dalat and Can Tho railways in Vietnam

Hello from Ho Chi Minh City! I’ve just returned from a visa run and family meetup in Phnom Penh. This was the first time in about 8 years since I travelled by bus between the two cities, and it took 8 hours to cover 240 km. Even with a border crossing factored in, that is a ridiculously long time. I will post a Phnom Penh trip report next week that will include transport and construction updates.

This week’s article is about the proposed Phnom Penh - Siem Reap Railway. I’ve already written about the proposed Ho Chi Minh City – Phnom Penh Railway, which I was dreaming about today while the bus was crawling through traffic.

The Phnom Penh - Siem Reap Railway was recently re-proposed, so I dug up all of the archived news articles and links for it. There isn’t much information about it yet, though the proposals haven’t been too serious. I found some great maps, but I also found a website that signals a new era in misinformation. I found this so-called Cambodia travel site that claims there is a train between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.

Judging by the writing and the vague information about the author, it appears to be written by an AI program that has become popular in the last few months. Entire travel websites like this can be written in a day. So if you are reading this looking for the Phnom Penh-Siem Reap train, there is no train.

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