Battambang's old railway

Battambang's place as a major agricultural trading centre was boosted by the opening of a railway linking the town with the capital by the French in the 1930s. The railway fell victim to the country's political upheaval and was suspended at various times.

Services were suspended in recent years on account of the dilapidated state of the network. There are plans to rehabilitate the entire network connecting Battambang, Phnom Penh and Thailand. The project has suffered many setbacks however and it's unclear when the planned link will commence operations.

The railway station is the least compelling feature of the railway complex that includes collapsing warehouses, rusted old rolling stock and signals and a maze of tracks that indicate a bustling rail network once operated from here.

It's another good place to reflect on Cambodia's tragic history and the long and fraught journey towards recovery the people are  engaged in.