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How long is the death railway?

The Burma Railway, also known as the Siam–Burma Railway, Thai–Burma Railway and similar names, or as the Death Railway, is a 415 km (258 mi) railway between Ban Pong, Thailand, and Thanbyuzayat, Burma (now called Myanmar).



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The Death Railway starts at Nong Pladuk, a junction on the Bangkok to Singapore main line some 80km west of Bangkok. The line heads northwest to Kanchanaburi, over the Bridge on the River Kwai, along the Kwae Noi ('Little Kwai') and over the Wampo Viaduct to Nam Tok, the current terminus for passenger trains.

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The exact number of deaths isn't known, but historians from the ANZAC Portal estimate at least 90,000 labourers and more than 12,000 POWs were killed. The grim statistics – which equate to one man dying for every sleeper that was laid on the track – led to the line being dubbed the 'Death Railway'.

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The best bit is Wang Pho viaduct. This is an original wooden trestle bridge that clings to the steep cliff-face high above the river. Make sure you are sitting by a window on the left side of the train (or on the right-hand side on the return journey) – otherwise you won't see much.

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You only need to walk a short distance along the track from Thamkrasae station to see the bridge and Wong Po viaduct snaking round a cliff. Krasae Cave is about one minute walk. This part of the Death Railway is about 30 miles west of Kanchanaburi.

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10 World's Most Dangerous Train Routes
  • Aso Minami Route, Japan.
  • Georgetown Loop Railroad, Colorado, USA.
  • White Pass and Yukon Route, Alaska, USA.
  • Tren a las Nubes, Argentina.
  • Kuranda Scenic Railroad, Australia.
  • Devil's Nose Train, Ecuador.
  • The Death Railway, Thailand.
  • Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe Train, South Africa.


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What is the safest railway in the world? Japan's Shinkansen high-speed rail network opened for business on 1 October 1964. Since then the system has carried nearly 7 billion passengers without a single fatality due to collision.

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The safest spot in a train, during an accident, is the center of the train, said Mann, who was the principal author of the Federal Railway Safety Act in 1970. Because if there is a front-end collision or a rear-end collision, the damages will be greater at those locations.

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1830. 15 September – United Kingdom – William Huskisson becomes the first widely reported passenger train death. During the ceremonial opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, while standing on the track at Parkside, he is struck and fatally injured by the locomotive Rocket.

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The Middleton Railway is the world's oldest continuously working railway, situated in the English city of Leeds. It was founded in 1758 and is now a heritage railway, run by volunteers from The Middleton Railway Trust Ltd. since 1960. Main station building on Moor Road.

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Liverpool Road Station, Manchester, England, is the world's oldest station.

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1. Switzerland. Tucked inside the small but incredibly beautiful country of Switzerland is one of the most efficient and scenic rail networks in the world.

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According to a 2022 report on Railway Safety and Interoperability in the EU, railways in Europe remain “among the safest in the world” with major accidents involving five or more fatalities becoming “increasingly rare”.

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The United States possesses the largest railway network in the world, in terms of total operating length.

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The Glacier Express is the world's slowest train, taking more than eight hours to travel between Zermatt and St. Moritz in Switzerland at an average of 18mph. Along the way, it passes over nearly 300 bridges, travels through 91 tunnels and takes in endless stunning Alpine views.

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THE world's deepest metro system is the Pyongyang Metro in North Korea which is 110 meters deep. The tunnel was built as part of an underground military facility. THE world's deepest metro, underground station is the Arsenalna Station on the Kiev Metro in Ukraine, at 107 meters deep.

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Fast trains can create a vacuum called a 'back draft' that can blow you over or suck you under a train.

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