Is This The World's WORST Train? 

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Well it might be a rough ride but at least the Cambodian railway is back in action after years of being out of use.

First great comprehensive review on this route that I’ve seen on youtube. These Hitachi RHN trains ran Thai commuter northeastern line services before being donated to Cambodia. It would be interesting to see a long-distance cross border service between Bangkok and Phnom Penh, but it looks a long time coming and perhaps not until the tracks are properly maintained😂

Well done for braving this and showing Cambodia! I first went there in 2005 and it was very poor and undeveloped. Obviously the trains haven't improved much since but its still a beautiful country with very friendly people 😊

lets praise the engineers from Hitachi who built these DMU in 1967 and the mainenance crews that keep them alive until today despite these harsh conditions...

Baby steps. When I was in Cambodia in 2016 that station in Battambang was closed and derelict, and had a clock on the front that had stopped during Khmer Rouge times. Glad to see some progress.

The Battambang line is the newer line opened to passengers. Cambodian Railways was really reopened for freight and the passenger trains are somewhat of an afterthought with limited service appealing to tourists. Cambodia’s infrastructure is being rapidly upgraded with talk of a high speed line from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh to link into the wider regional rail upgrade being undertaken.

I have been to Cambodia several times. I like the country. The first time I visited Cambodia Khmer Rouge was still present in the areas I visited. I saw a Cambodia with very few cars. Impressive development since then.

I still remember the coach I used to ride in Thailand. It’s only be found in north-eastern railway, young people nowadays doesn’t like them because it’s too old, and lousy noise But for me these train I awe them so much, my mum always traveled from Korat to Ubon every weekend and the ticket is so cheap, around $2 (for a 375km) Furthermore these coaches are durable and easy to maintenance and no need of high cost technology to repair.

Cambodia is a country everyone should visit once in their lifetime, greetings from Thailand🇹🇭

These seats are still being used in 3rd class trains in Thailand. I used to take this quite a few times many years ago and remembered once on a trip to Hua Hin, the bench across from mine fell, with a weight of two people, onto my toes. It's unfortunate that for much of the population this is still the only affordable way for them to travel. (2nd class seats on non-sleeper trains are not much better)

Well as a southerner asian I'll be honest Indonesian and Malaysian trains are actually the most badast and comfy in Southeast Asia

From the video, the track LOOKS fairly well maintained - so is the poor ride a consequence of poor maintenance of the DMSs rather than the track? Do we know if this will be extended to Siam Reap, which could open good possibilities for tourist revenue for the railway company?

Kudos to your production man, I really love how you experience the services in depth with only description but no sound

Crazy that it didn't derailed, we had fair share old trains and worn tracks in Thailand but the last route I took back in 2008 was a sleeper train from Bangkok-Chumphon and they never got me sick and I'm quite prone to motion sickness while travel in cars and planes, obviously they got vastly upgraded since 2008 can't wait to try the new routes and existing ones with better tracks and trains soon. This one in Cambodia looked like its only for locals who have strong stomach, I might lose whatever I ate that day out the window if I ride it.

When a country is not tourist minded it will keep its identity and culture.

Given this line was defunct when I hoped to use it as part of travelling around the world on surface transport in February 2009, I was quite impressed with the speed and state of the track shown. It is good to see the line back in use and clearly use by local passengers as well as tourists. I hope they make enough to invest in a bit more in the way of track upgrades and in time improve the track stability and alignment... In 2009 I took a fast ferry from Phnom Penh and along the Tonlé Sap to Siem Reap (for the inevitable visit to Ankgkor Wat, before taking a Taxi to Battambang and on to the train to Bangkok across the Thai border. A fantastic trip. Next time I will take this train!

It is a Thai train donated to Cambodia. Four of the 38 RHN trains donated in Thailand are in the northeastern region. However, when they are in Thailand, the trains are in much better condition, speed, and cleanliness. And it's not just the trains that we donated, but the sleepers and rail clamps were also donated by Thailand.

Never had such experience in any train so far ! Btw I am from India ! Though have felt boredom on long slow trains journeys… plus lower class trains become too crowdy here … that much makes them more uncomfortable!!

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You want a challenging journey - try the PNR that links Manila to Calamba, Laguna, in the Philippines. The LRT and MRT train lines within Metro Manlia are pretty much up to par with anywhere else globally, but the old PNR railway (the first in Asia and the worst maintained) is so bad the government is closing the entire line down soon, while they build a shiny new overhead rail track route over it. If you're able to jump on the old PNR line that links Tutuban station in Old Manila with Calamba before they close it down, I'd give it a try. Despite them buying new INKA carriages, the general experience is interesting - the tracks are horridly maintained - grass grows over it, its like riding in a literal jungle, even though you see skyscrapers around. Most of the slums are by the rail tracks (currently being torn down by the local govt- albeit slowly). Not to mention the lack of fences that stop the slum kids from playing on the tracks, which means slow speeds and constant horn blaring. It will make this Cambodian train seem like joy. You wouldn't believe this is a commuter line. Its such a jarring experience compared with the LRT and MRT lines, which have card tap payment and other modern amenities. Then once the govt update the line in a few years with the high speed North-South Commuter rail line, I'd return here again and compare the experience. You'd experience one of the Asia-Pacific's worst train lines, to one of Asia's (hopefully) best. The North South line is being build with Japanese expertise I believe, so you could imagine how it will look once the whole line is renovated. I think they're 40% done in the countryside segment to the north of Manila. But for now, the current PNR is horrid :D If you can take a quick trip over here, you'd find the PNR vs LRT-MRT experience interesting.

im old and in need of maintanance,but id do this trip,crack a few cans of beer open and enjoy the scenery,and maybe a bit of banter with the locals on board,and i would say this train journey is far safer than the alternative road journey,by bus or taxi,and ive done both.the train journey is now on my list of to dos.

I almost got motion sickness just watching this video. Not something I will add to my bucket list. It definitely replaces the worst ride I've ever personally experienced (about 25 years ago): London to Birmingham on the Midland Mainline, in First Class. The tables had raised edges to keep items from sliding off due to the constant lurching about. The tea was served in dainty porcelain cups that the steward filled less than half full so the tea wouldn't slosh out. Some did anyway. I was trying to do the right thing and take the train instead of flying, but I regretted that decision. Thank you for bringing us this video. Sometimes it is better to experience something vicariously rather than personally. Better you than me. Ha. Did you wait until you reached your final destination to eat your pineapple, or did you try eating it while in motion?

This train is so strong and powerful 👍 i like it Love from Indonesia

I took this train, from Sihanoukville to Kampot, a few months ago. The landscape was very different as it was the hottest and driest time of year. I wasn't bothered by the bouncing around, weirdly. However, I remember being very irritated by the smoke and fumes from the engine getting into the cabin. The smell made me a bit sick tbh, and I had soot all on my skin afterwards, probably not very healthy for me either...

I was almost sick aboard a german/french train from Karlsruhe to Paris, while crossing the Vosges mountains. The track is always bending one side to the other for almost 50 km (this was long before the TGV-Est line, of course)

I thought that the railway tracks had been renovated by an Australian company,that's what I read somewhere!Once again a beautiful video and once again thank you very much.....

God ! That TVS Rickshaw is everywhere...

Nice video! The Cambodian train is not very comfortable, but it's still an experience. Too bad that the Cambodian Railways do not receive more investment... They could, for example, build an extension line from Battambang to Siem Reap, as that city is the base to tourists that want to visit the Angkor Wat complex....the line could make tourists to visit further into Cambodia....just thinking...

"Train is quite bouncy" "Constant blasting of the horn", seems bit like the Xtrapolis 100.

And we complain about the Pacers in the UK... This is a bouncy train.

I didn’t even realize there was a train in Cambodia. If you haven’t already, do try the trains in Burma, aka Myanmar. Preferably third class! There is a train from Rangoon, aka Yangon, to Mandalay. A few years ago I met a young man on the flight from Bangkok. Then weeks later in the Shan State mountains I was at a train station when someone yelled to me from a train carriage. It was the young man. He and his father rented a whole carriage and were traveling around Burma. With servants to tend to their wishes. Again, I enjoy your videos. En avant!

This train recently hit a bus

Well, I once rode the Austrian EuroCity. Suddenly, a really bad smell was there and I thought someone threw up in my carriage. It was also very crowded. That smell drove me crazy and I wanted to leave this car, but I could'nt because it was FULL OF PEOPLE! Later I found out, that the bad smell came from someone's peppermint tea, and I asked him kindly to put the bottle away, and the rest of the ride was just fine 😊

Gives a glimpse of Cambodia which is still recovering. Thank you.

great reviews, this reminds me of my travel experience on a train in Myanmar in the first week of January 2019 with the Yangon-Bagan and Mandalay-Yangon routes. As for ticket reservations, I think Cambodia is more advanced, which can be done online, my experience at that time was with trains in Myanmar, reservations were only served manually at the counter or a special reservation place located near the station for departures from Yangon.

The train with diesel engines made in Thailand is my favorite. The train is innocent but the rails are so bumpy.

I think I'll scratch Cambodian trains off my list of trains to try. I was surprised to see so much new construction in Phnom Penh. in spite of the poverty.

You should try Japan "Yakumo" Limited Express from Okayama to Izumo. The only train in Japan which provide sickness bag to passenger. 🤣

Now that Cambodia is a rapidly developing economy especially in the capital, it’d be nice to see them develop a new or refurbished railway system as fast and efficient as their ASEAN and East Asian counterparts.

I don't wanna comment anything interesting this week, so I'll keep calm for the after eating time. Tbh, I never go to my bed to have a nap, but I feel a little bit sleepy right now, so I'll watch TV instead of sleep

I love Cambodia. Nature is so beautiful, and people are humble and friendly.

Hello i from thailand, That diesel rail car are donate by thai, However they did maintance properly is tracks speedmometer and cab speedmometer are show 0 km/h, But train is 65.5 km/h

I did that journey on Friday, 10th of February 2023 in the other direction. Yes, the track is horrible on that route, and the most important instrument of the driver seems to be the signal horn. Once he had to make a full break as there was a relaxed farmer with his cattle walking along the track. On Monday, 13th of February 2023 I continued to Sihanoukville. That train was air conditioned but had a lot of mosquitos. The track was better as this route is used by goods trains, too.

Took this train the other day and I'm surprised by this review. I really enjoyed it. Yes it bounced around a bit but it was not sickness inducing (i get motion sickness in buses without fail for example). The constant fresh air from the open windows was lovely and it was a very local experience, both the train itself and the views. I would recommend it. Bum did hurt after 5 hours though. The seats are a little small.

That looks exactly like the Indonesian Railway back in 2008. I would love to see you cover the Indonesian Railway (KAI) and the Indonesian High-Speed Railway (KCIC)

World's worst? Oh, come on! I took that same trip today, but knowing that it's a one metre track and cheap as chips, didn't expect luxury. I guess travel sickness coloured your judgment. I found it fun, relaxing and friendly. The only bugbear was a young European couple who arrived just before departure and wanted me to give up my window seat so they could sit together!

Fascinating! Thanks for taking us along on this rather challenging journey.

The train through Poland in the 80's - definitely would make you sick

Fun fact, the average Cambodian Royal Railways journey hits 3 cows on the way (apparently)

About 20 yrs ago I took the Sihanoukville route (the only one running at the time?). Incredibly slow due to the condition of the track, no windows, holes in the floor and walls, some home cooking going on on the floor and me and few others in the few coveted hammocks hanging from the luggage racks. Can't remember feeling 'sick' - I've travelled some rough routes in my time.

What a great trip and experience. I don't know this train ended the journey at Battambang or continuing to other cities, because when I searched in Wikipedia, after Battambang, your train should be continuing to Sisophon and Poipet. The last city which I mentioned before is city/town located close to Thailand Border. As far as I remember, they also have new train connecting Phnom Penh and Airport. I'm curious, what transportation you taking to Cambodia? By Air or Land Transport from neighbouring countries?

This VDO of railway trip reminds me my oldie days when I was children 40 years ago. During my childhood, age of 4 or 5 until teens, every summer and authum holidays I and my family usually travelled east by train from BKK to my grandfather residence at the border of Thai-Cambodia. The train (ex--SRT), the passing by view of rice fields, hills, country or provincial habitats, a single track, and shaky feelings along the way, they were all my past experiences should I never forget. It's amazing that I can see it being alive again in your VDO. . P.S. By the end of the clip when you're geting off the train, the scrips and warning signs at stairways are written in Thai and English, they once belonged to State Railway of Thailand.

It's good to see the Cambodia railways making a comeback after years of delay caused by war etc. However, this doesn't look like a journey for the faint hearted. I think that I will continue to take the bus from Phnom Penh to Battambang until the railway line is upgraded and more modern trains introduced, which will probably be a few more years from now.

I was once on a Swedish train and that made me feel incredibly motion sick. I think it was because that train tilts so hard on the bends

Awesome video! The things you put yourself through for our entertainment eh? I travelled through Cambodia in 2018, about a month before this route started. I was a bit disappointed that I had to take the bus, but after seeing this video, I think I had the more comfy option. Like you said, Cambodia is an amazing country full of wonderful people. Battambang was my fave place too - did you get to go see the caves full of bats? 🦇

It's no worse than a pacer, at full speed it felt like it would derail!

In the waning days of the old Penn Central you could have had a similar experience on the local train from Philly to Media and West Chester, Pa. Just as much rock and roll but saving grace of frequent stops.

A rough train ride to test you. The train from Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok and return in Thailand. Wooden bench seats, open windows and a VERY unstable train, but what a journey. One I’ll never forget and would love to ride again.

That train line is so contrast of one hundred and fifty million dollars sport stadium they built for sea game...

Well that was definitely something else. Surprisingly the only time I felt sick on train a was at the other end of the scale a year ago travelling from Cologne to Frankfurt first class on an ICE. The majority of the route had been upgraded to a high-speed line but as we reached high-speed the train started a most disconcerting rocking movement. I suspect something was out of adjustment with the settings of the springs or dampers on the bogies. Fortunately this was only for a duration of about 50 minutes. None of my other experiences of the ICE have been on high-speed sections so I don't know if this is a regular occurrence but I would think it most unlikely.

I read somewhere that the reason Cambodian railways are the state they are in is because it's engineers, technicians, construction workers were murdered during the Pol Pot years. The country missed one to two generations of engineers.

Stop complaining. If you'd seen what they had to put up with back in WWII and in the 60's, you'd be surprised that they have anything at all. Full marks to them that, in their impoverished state, they manage to have any sort of scheduled train service.

We still have some of this trains in urban of Thailand , use only shot distance , provine to prvince only , NHT so long time used and still good .Lol

The right-of-way looks wet, which makes track maintenance a nightmare. They would need lots of ballast and probably some sand or gravel beneath it for stability. In some places, they would need to put in tiles and drains to keep the water level manageable. And, of course, a work train, which they may not have. From the audio, they seem to have jointed rail in some places, which gradually works loose unless it's regularly maintained - usually by hand. Overall, the ride reminds me of the condition on the CNJ (Central Railroad of New Jersey) commuter main line in the early 1970s.

When traveling I don't constantly complain....I go with the flow.

7:37 When the whole passenger group is doing the cha-cha-cha (or should I say choo-choo-choo?) in sync, the bouncing is indeed uh... off the rails! {I will show myself the door}

The toilet is nicer than that of Bulgarian Railways rolling stock.

I think, the price is very high for Cambodians. In 2013, I travelled with Myanmar Railways on the mainline Yangon to Mandalay as far as on several branch lines (Thazi - Shwenyaung, Mandalay- Hsipaw and Bagan - Yangon). The tracks were similar to those in Cambodia. Still, the service on board the trains and on the stations was much better. There were first class coaches available with more comfortable seats. On mainline trains, there were even sleeping cars and restaurant cars. Despite the bumpy ride, it was a great experience for me. The food on the stations was excellent, the scenery and the friendly people I met were it worth to take the train!

As a Thai people that’s a Thai train…. But it is very rare to found that train if u look on the train their is “SRT” (state railway of Thailand) and if u r motion sickness I don’t recommend u too ride trains like this also about the gangway…THATS TRUE

Wow, that is a lot of bounce. You can see the peoples' heads bobbing around. 😂

Thank you for producing this impressive video. I had an experience with a bumping train ride in Poland 🇵🇱 in 2005 over the whole distance of the train from Opole / Oppeln to Nysa / Neiße. Meanwhile the track is in better condition, for sure.

I like the way the stations are tricked out with the same livery as the train. Neat.

I never seen a train bouncing this much before it's Literally a train trampoline I like your videos really nice channel

These coaches look like the old type Sri Lankan Railway coaches imported DECADES back from Romania and still being used in many routes even today. Same 'padded seats' and all. But can confirm SLR doesn't have the back soothing 'rollercoaster' feature Cambodian Railways is apparently blessed with.

It was Third Class train donated from Thailand to Cambodia. Ticket is quite expensive compare with distance (275 Km) at around 10 USD is more expensive than traveling from Bangkok to Chiang Mai (751 Km) which ticket price start from 8.4 USD same class or even better there are A/C second class, sleeper second class & sleeper first class options as well.

I’m pretty sure thailand’s 3rd class ordinary fan trains are the same level of bad

You got off lightly, I did the route in 2003 before it was 'upgraded', it was scheduled for 14 hours to BTB. I did it again 4 months ago - on that day the ex-SRT DMU had failed and was pulled to Phnom Penh by a diesel! Bumpy but a great experience!

This remind me of India and India railways up-to 1970. What is missing is dirt, filth and vandalized seats and rest rooms. Train set appear to be imported from Australia or Japan.

Why you no visit in indonesia....

You should've put "holiday in Cambodia "as background song 😂

It's not a train, it's a railroad track that hasn't been improved in a hundred years.

I did the trip from Kampot to Phnom Penh…I liked it very much to go with such old train 😊

It is a developing country,but within 25 yrs it will change tremendously.Unless America does not destroy it again .

That's interesting.. I took the train that went to Sihanouksville and it wasn't that bumpy but yeah everything was rattling and shaking. Loved the horn being blasted every 5 mins 😁

Finally our railways in India is 2nd worst and not the worst thanks to this 🙏

For a country that was so devastated by civil war just a mere 30 years ago, it is even remarkable that they have resumed intercity railway services.

The train interior like indonesian economy class train in 1990-2010's . Hopefully Cambodia will progress like Indonesian railway

I am happy to find this train & a train to Sihanoukville! I'm old school and can't wait to get on. Reminds me of BKK to Chiang Mai 2000.🙏🙏

rolling stock train from Thailand

In your place, I wouldn't whine about comfort and the state of the tracks and rolling stock literally ALL the time but instead, enjoy a unique experience in a non-first world country.

great video bro

"Worlds WORST train?" UK's Pacer in the corner be like:

Out of all the places I've been, Cambodia was the most surprising. An absolutely beautiful country with the most amazing and kind people you'll ever meet. One day, I would love to go back.

While it didn't make me sick, a train journey I took from Budapest to Gödöllő in Hungary in the early 2000s was so bumpy, I thought we would derail.

It is unique, very amusing and very enjoyable. Not very fast but who is in a hurry her.....

2:10 The Steam Engine is still serviceable btw, they run it for special excursions occasionally. Great video as always

This train was luxurious compared with a Mexican train from Veracruz to Tapachula in 1979.

Great, a really nice video. I enjoyed watching this video very much.

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