Cambodia’s passenger train services have been restarted on one route after a gap of 14 years.

The first service set out on April 30 from the capital Phnom Penh for the tourist areas of the south-west coast.

The train service, which will run only on weekends, had a VIP on board – veteran PM Hun Sen.

He wrote on Facebook: “The train and railway were almost totally destroyed by war more than 40 years ago.

“Because our country is now at peace, we have the opportunity to rebuild our transport infrastructure.”

The journey from Phnom Penh costs around $7 and takes eight hours. It will run to and from the coast once a day from Fridays to Sundays.

The country’s cargo services restarted three years ago, along small stretches of track.

Cambodia has hundreds of miles of track, but very little is open, after decades of neglect.