What is the best part of the Death Railway?

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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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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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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It originated in Thailand and cut across to the Burmese war front to aid in the Japanese invasion of India. Originally called the Thailand-Burma Railway, it earned the nickname “Death Railway” because over one hundred thousand laborers died during its 16 month construction between 1942 and 1943.

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Railroad tracks are private property, not public trails. It's illegal and dangerous to walk on or near tracks unless you're using a designated crossing.

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William Huskisson (born March 11, 1770) was a statesman, financier and MP but he will always be remembered as the first widely-reported person in history to be fatally injured in a railway accident.

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By Train. Trains depart from Bangkok's Thonburi Train Station at 07:50 am and arrive at Kanchanaburi at 10:25. There is a second train that leaves at 1:55 pm, arriving at 4:24 pm.

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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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Fact #4: Trains Can Stop, But Not Quickly It takes the average freight train traveling at 55 mph more than a mile to stop. That's the length of 18 football fields.

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It's Illegal Trespassing onto railroad property, including tracks, bridges, buildings and signal towers, is illegal. Violators are subject to a citation for trespassing. Union Pacific will seek removal from publication any photograph or video that violates this policy.

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“People assume that trains are loud, but that assumption is based on the fact that when a train's gone past them in a station it's noisy. That's because the noise a train makes is mainly projected to either side. When trains are moving directly towards you they are barely audible–until it's too late.”

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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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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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