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Battambang's bamboo train world's most eco-friendly ride |
When I was asked if I wanted to ride on the bamboo train, I had no
idea what was on offer. The picture that came to mind was of a cute
toy train with carriages made out of bamboo, maybe similar to
something you would find at a park or zoo to take tourists for a
ride. But I knew there were no such parks in Cambodia.
I was in Battambang province in northwest Cambodia. I had spent the
day visiting the killing caves of the Pol Pot regime. From my hotel
in Battambang, I had hired a motorbike and driver for the day. This
cost a mere US$6 ($9) for a 7 hour trip. It was towards the end of
the day when the driver asked if I wanted to ride on the bamboo
train.
We crossed a river on a narrow suspension bridge. I didn't realise
until later that this was the upstream part of the Stung Sangker or
Sangker River, which flows through the centre of Battambang. Soon
after we came to a railway line.
When I was told this was the bamboo railway, I could see no sign of
any train, and there were definitely no cute bamboo carriages. I
got off the bike and walked in the rain to the station. There were
quite a few people bustling around and lots of goods waiting to be
transported somewhere. I wondered how long we would have to wait
for the train to arrive. I knew that the train service in Cambodia
is fairly primitive and is incredibly slow. Train travel is
exceedingly cheap, but patience is required. Trains travel at an
average speed of 20kph and mechanical problems can mean unscheduled
stops.
We were on the main railway line from Phnom Penh to Poipet which is
the border town to Thailand. The French built this single-track
metre-gauge line in the 1920's. They used it to carry coffee and
bananas to the city. The first tiny steam engines were replaced by
more powerful steam locomotives. But during the Khmer Rouge regime
the trains were destroyed. The tracks were spared but were
overgrown by the jungle. It was only after the civil war that the
locals cleared the rails and the line was back in operation again.
The 274km journey from Battambang to Phnom Penh takes around 15
hours if there are no problems. The train runs up one day and down
the next day and I wondered if today was the up or down day. Whilst
I was still contemplating the speed of the train, the penny
suddenly dropped. I realised that all this while I had been looking
at the bamboo train without recognising it.
Instead of a train with carriages, the Battambang bamboo train is
in fact a metal frame with bamboo slats that sits on two axles with
wheels. It is used to transport people and goods up and down the
railway. The bamboo slats form the base on which the passengers,
goods and livestock sit. It can carry anything that will fit on it,
even motorcycles. It is also used to transport the rice in the
harvest season. The Cambodian name for the train is norry. It is an
ingenious invention. After the days of the Khmer Rouge, the land
mines were cleared from the tracks, and the local residents built
dozens of these miniature trains.
It was interesting to watch the assembly of the contraption. Two
young men appeared, carrying two ancient steel axles with cast-iron
wheels at both ends. These were placed on the track _ a perfect
fit. Next, a metal frame with the bamboo slats is positioned atop
the axles. The whole thing is about three feet wide and maybe eight
feet long. The engine sits on top, linked to the wheels by a rubber
drive wheel. The only braking system is to turn the engine off and
coast to a stop.
The older trains don't have the metal frame. Instead there is a
long semi-rigid bamboo mat. The axles fit into two steel forks on
the underside of the mat. The mat sits atop the wheels, unsecured
except by the steel forks.
Today the train is driven by a motorcycle or tractor engine.
Gasoline is available at village crossings, sold in glass whiskey
bottles. In the past men used poles to push it along, a bit like a
dry land version of a punt on the River Thames! It runs about 10 km
up and down the line, and costs 1000 riel ($0.40) between stations.
As the regular train only goes up one day and down the next, there
is no danger of collision. However if two bamboo trains meet, the
lighter one is simply taken off the rails to allow the other to
pass.
I was lucky as one train was being loaded when we arrived. Not long
after we had been there, my driver told me to watch as the train
was leaving. Before I really grasped what was happening, people
jumped aboard and a few men started pushing it whilst running along
behind. I found it quite comical as the train disappeared into the
distance and the men were still running along pushing it. Obviously
the engine hadn't kicked in. I don't know if they were just
saving on fuel costs or if there was some problem with the engine.
It reminded me of something from a silent Charlie Chaplin movie.
The old station building of French construction would have been
quite elegant in its day. Nowadays it is used as a store for the
train parts. The rain got heavier but I didn't mind as I had seen
the Battambang bamboo train.
By: Liz Price
Source:
The Brunei Times
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