Royal Railway, which has a 30-year concession to operate Cambodia’s rail network, will operate two passenger train services a day between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville during an eight-day trial period starting April 9, it announced on its website yesterday.

One train will leave Phnom Penh at 7am, coinciding with the departure of another train from Sihanoukville. The trains will complete the 266-kilometre journey in about eight hours with stops at stations in Takeo and Kampot.

Tickets for the full journey will cost $7 for all classes, though air-conditioned carriages are only available on odd-numbered days, a railway official said yesterday.