Death Railway! Have you heard about it before? The name itself sounds terrible, right! But the actual event in history was even more terrible than the name. Our journey over the same railway track in 2018 is an unforgettable experience, and it changed my perspective of travel forever. This article is an expression of my thoughts on the “Death Railway” with tips to travel the historic site.
To read more about such interesting places in Thailand: check out our posts on Chiang Mai | Phuket
World War- II and the Death Railway
War is the result of human ego
It’s an understatement to say that “War is inhuman and barbaric”. It brings unfathomable destruction, misery and loss of life. And yet human beings always find a reason to kill each other in the name of supremacy or sovereignty or both put together sometimes! Ironically, each side believing that the other side is the perpetrator! War, in my opinion, is the result of human ego, and greed. On a positive note, number of wars over decades have gone down. However, human race is yet to evolve to a stage when we can say no to all wars.
Tragedy on the track
Of all the wars that the world has seen, World War-II definitely was the most horrific, both in terms of scale and barbarism. Incredible brutality was on display on various occasions across the world. One such event took place at the Thailand-Burma Railway. Between June 1942 and October 1943, more than 100,000 people died while constructing a 415-kilometer-long railway line.
Then known as “Thailand-Burma Railway“, it was later called the “Death Railway”. Construction of the railway track between Ban Pong in Thailand and Thanbyuzayat in Burma was/ is a dark chapter in the history of mankind.
Black history of the Death Railway
Year 1942. Japan on a rampage.
After occupying Thailand in 1941, Japan was on a rampage. Next, in a fierce battle they seized power in Burma from Britain in 1942. Their supply line to Burma was a long sea route around the Malay peninsula. It was a highly costly affair, and precariously risky proposition too (against the Allied forces). Thus, they decided to build a railway line connecting Thailand and Burma.
Construction on a difficult terrain
Though on paper, it looked a great idea, it was a massive task to build that line through the jungles, hills and rivers spanning the border areas of Thailand and Burma. But the project got a go ahead in June 1942. The Japanese employed 250,000 Asian civilians and 60,000 Prisoners of War (PoW) (mostly Australian, British and the Dutch) in the construction work. Construction began in September 1942.
More than a 100,000 lives lost!
In the face of adversity, hunger, diseases, and squalor, the labourers kept working. Some 100,000 perished in over 13 months! The labourers were forced to work for 18 hours a day, often without food to complete the railway before schedule. Such a travesty of history that the railway built with such hardships hardly remained in service! Because the US bombed Japan in 1945 and the war came to an end. This spelt the end to the railway as well!
The movie: “The Bridge on the River Kwai”
Have you watched the classic movie “The Bridge on the River Kwai”, a 1957 Academy Award winning movie? Though it’s a work of fiction in major parts, it gives a great insight into the inhuman working conditions and the situation in which the labourers worked and died. The movie was based on a popular novel: “Le pont de la rivière Kwaï” by French writer Pirre Boulle.
Director: David Lean | Stars: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins |
Deciding to travel to the Death Railway
When we were planning to visit Thailand, one of our Instagram friends Sharon suggested us to keep Kanchanaburi in the itinerary. I didn’t have much knowledge of the place. However, when she talked about “Death Railway” and the movie “The Bridge on the River Kwai”, I instantly connected. Because a few years ago, on the suggestion of another good friend Manikant, I had watched that great movie. That movie had affected my conscience in a big way, and had reinforced my hatred for wars. So, I planned a two-day trip to Kanchanaburi and travel to the Death Railway.
Reaching Kanchanaburi
Kanchanaburi is the most convenient town to have the base location to travel to the Death Railway.
We took a night bus from Chiang Mai, and reached Kanchanaburi early in the morning. Our Airbnb home was only at a walkable distance from the bus station. Without taking much rest, we rushed to the local railway station to book a ticket to have the experience of Death Railway the same day.
The unforgettable train journey
The destination was Hellfire pass, an extremely difficult railway cutting (through the hills) that houses a memorial site, and a museum now.
There are regular trains from Kanchanaburi to Nomtok, the nearest station to the Hellfire Pass. The original “Death Railway route was from Ban Pong in Thailand to Thanbyuzayat in Burma. It was a 415 kilometer stretch that completed the connection of Bangkok with Rangoon (with Kanchanaburi on the route). However, after the war, the Burma section became obsolete. The Bangkok to Namtok section got resurrected in 1957.
And the journey begins…
We took the tickets at Kanchanaburi station for the 10.30 train to Namtok, the current terminus. Just about a hundred meters away from the Kanchanaburi station is the famous Bridge on the river Kwai (actually river Khwae Yai). Kanchanaburi is the place where river Khwae Yai and river Khwae Noi meet, and form the river Mae Klong.
Excitement at the Bridge on the river Kwai
While passing the bridge, though the passengers would be aware of the tragic history of the bridge, it was difficult to suppress their excitement! Partly because of the beautiful setting and partly because of the fulfilled ambition of reaching that spot. The train didn’t have railings in its windows; so, everyone just leaned/ hung out of the windows to take pictures and enjoy the view. And we were no different! It was a slow train; so, it didn’t feel unsafe to do that.
After passing the bridge on river Kwai, the train runs along the river Khwae Noi till the terminus at Namtok. The section between Kanchanaburi and Namtok is about 80 kilometers. It passes through farmlands, small villages, rivers, hills and forests with beautiful landscape. The landscape and the train ride felt a little like toy train rides in Ooty or Darjeeling in India.
Wang Pho Viaduct
Another beautiful point comes at the Wang Pho Viaduct just before arriving at the Wang Pho station on the way. The river curves away like a snake giving an amazing view from the viaduct. The villages along the river and the boats lining on its bank make for such a lovely sight!
In about 2 and half hours, we reached Namtok (by 1 PM). From Namtok, we took a local taxi for 600 bahts for a return trip to the Hellfire pass. It took about 25 minutes to reach the Hellfire pass.
The Hellfire Pass
On the Death Railway track, Hellfire Pass was such a difficult section to cut through that the most number of labourers lost their lives here. People later visualized the labourers working with their torches on inside the cut as light/ fire emanating from the hell. Thus, the name Hellfire Pass.
Today, there is no serviceable railway line there. With the help of the Australian government, a memorial site and the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum have been built there for the visitors. The hellfire pass has a trail through the bamboo forest to reach the memorial site. We hiked through the forest slopes to the memorial site. The atmosphere there was definitely somber. A feeling of witnessing the historic event of death of a 100,000 labourers there!
We left the hellfire pass by 2.30 PM, after spending a little over an hour there.
Sai Yok Noi Waterfall
On the way to the station, just before Namtok, there is a lovely waterfall- Sai Yok Noi waterfall. As we had to catch the 3.30 PM train from Namtok to Kanchanaburi, we made a very small stop-over at the waterfall. After taking some pictures at the waterfall, we were on our way to the station again. If one starts early from Kanchanaburi, one can spend half a day there.
Evening in Kanchanaburi
We reached Kanchanaburi about 6 PM. After taking some rest, we got on our feet again to explore the local market. There was a local festival going on at a venue. We gatecrashed into the event, and observed people enjoying a cultural evening. Even though we enquired about the event, we couldn’t understand much (nobody understood English!).
Afterwards, at the market place, we explored the local shops. Finding some food to our liking was really difficult. However, we managed somehow! That was the end of day-1.
The next day
Though the Death Railway and Hellfire Pass are the main attractions, there are a few more places to explore in Kanchanaburi. But they turned out to be related to the Death Railway as well. We took two cycles from our guesthouse to explore these places in the town.
Kanchanaburi War cemetery:
The Prisoners of War who died in building the Death Railway are laid to rest at the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. There are 6982 graves of which 124 are still unidentified. We paid respect to the departed souls, and felt a sense of grief. However, it was good to see that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has maintained the cemetery well.
Death Railway Museum:
Just beside the cemetery is the Death Railway Museum (or Thailand- Burma Railway Center). It exhibits a large number of artefacts and information related to the Death Railway. We spent about an hour at the center.
Places we missed out:
If we had stayed there for a day or two more, we would have explored a few natural hotspots like the Erawan National Park and Waterfall, the Elephant World sanctuary, and maybe a few smaller waterfalls in the wilderness.
Later that day, after lunch, we took a bus back to Bangkok from Kanchanaburi bus station. It took us about 2 hours to reach Bangkok (140 kms away) by 1:45 PM.
Death Railway : Travel Tips
When to visit:
Kanchanaburi is the best base location for experiencing Death Railway. The best time to travel to Kanchanaburi is from mid-October to February. March to June are peak summer months, and temperatures can be more than 38-degree C. And July to September are monsoon months; it’s a tropical country!
How to reach Kanchanaburi:
There is no airport in Kanchanaburi. But there are regular bus services from Bangkok, and other cities in Thailand. There are direct trains from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi as well.
Where to stay:
Some budget accommodation options: WEE Hostel | River Kwai Bridge Resort | Bamboo House Resort | River Kwai Hotel | Asleep Hostel | Sam’s House | Hop Inn | VN Guesthouse | Sky Resort |
How to move around:
- Within Kanchanaburi: The best way is to cycle around. Or, one can rent a tuktuk.
- From Kanchanaburi to Hellfire Pass:
- There are three trains daily leaving Kanchanaburi for Namtok (the nearest station to Hellfire pass): 6:07 AM; 10:35 AM; 16:26 PM. It takes 2.30 hours to reach Namtok. Ticket price: 100 baht
- From Namtok, one can take a taxi for 600-700 baht for a return trip to Hellfire Pass. Or, by bus at 20 baht/ side.
- There are buses directly running from Kanchanaburi to Hellfire Pass too. And one can take a taxi directly too. But one would definitely love to have the experience of riding on the Death Railway.
To Conclude
Travel to Death Railway experience was partly somber, and partly exciting. One cannot help it but feel a tinge of sadness inside to go through the trail at the hellfire pass, and reading all that information on display at the museum.
At the same time, the whole landscape with rivers, forests and natural beauty was absolutely pleasing on the eyes as much as to the heart. It truly was an unforgettable experience.
A trip that changed my travel perspective
The trip made us to think about human evolution through ages. We thought to ourselves- why do nations indulge in war? Is war inevitable? Is it a necessary evil? Have we evolved enough to avoid future wars?
Moreover, it reinforced my growing interest in history of the world, and evolution of mankind.
Besides, it also made me consciously look for experiences like this in our future travels. While travelling, it’s always good to look for places and experiences that educate us, and enrich our soul. Travel is as much about ‘seeing’ as it is about ‘feeling’, and ‘internalizing’. To read more about such travel thoughts, do check out: “Travel is the essence of life“.
Do write to us about your thoughts on the questions that we pose to ourselves in this section. Do you concur with my travel perspective over Death Railway? Yes, or no; please share with me.
Jayvanti Einjen
Lovely, so nice trip God bless you both 💖 💓
stampedmoments
Thanks a lot.
God bless us all!
Ramesh Patel
I gone through the nicely mentioned report.. it’s really excellent as you are planning the visit after home work in it. This write up made me unhappy as 100 thousand human have to sacrifice and felt proud for both of you to visit such historical places .
stampedmoments
Thanks Ramesh bhai for reading, and sharing your feedback.
It was indeed a great experience.
SOUMEN CHATTERJEE
Well the word Death railway scared me and then thought let’s read it and it was a mix feeling for me. Truly said War is inhuman and barbaric”. It brings unfathomable destruction, misery and loss of life. And yet human beings always find a reason to kill each other in the name of supremacy or sovereignty or both put together sometimes! It sadden me to hear that more than 100,000 people died while constructing a 415-kilometer-long railway line.The labourers were forced to work for 18 hours a day, often without food to complete the railway before schedule. Such a travesty of history that the railway built with such hardships hardly remained in service! Because the US bombed Japan in 1945 and the war came to an end. This spelt the end to the railway as well! . This information is also such pathetic.
Well let me talk about your exciting journey, what made u visit the death railway was the movie The bridge on the river Kwai, it inspired you to visit. The journey was quite exciting taking train from Kanchanaburi station to Namtok. Great to know about Excitement at the Bridge on the river Kwai.Another beautiful point comes at the Wang Pho Viaduct just before arriving at the Wang Pho station on the way. The river curves away like a snake giving an amazing view from the viaduct. The villages along the river and the boats lining on its bank make for such a lovely sight! It’s just awsome feeling I guess.
It is great to know about the Death Railway track, Hellfire Pass was such a difficult section to cut through that the most number of labourers lost their lives here. People later visualized the labourers working with their torches on inside the cut as light/ fire emanating from the hell. Thus, the name Hellfire Pass, interesting. Next was Sai Yok Noi Waterfall and people were enjoying the waterfall.Evening in Kanchanaburi was well spent visiting the local market
The next was theKanchanaburi
Kanchanaburi War cemetery: The Prisoners of War who died in building the Death Railway are laid to rest at the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. There are 6982 graves of which 124 are still unidentified. Next was Death Railway Museum which was a symbol of the massacre. The places that were missed was few natural hotspots like the Erawan National Park and Waterfall, the Elephant World sanctuary, and maybe a few smaller waterfalls in the wilderness.
Overall a mixed feelings journey yet interesting.
stampedmoments
I am so happy that you read the posts so well and thoroughly.
Our super reader! Always so thankful to you 🙂
Nibedita
Bahut badhia…..
stampedmoments
Thank you 🙂
Krushna chandra
Lovely
stampedmoments
Thanks 🙂
Sajith
Nice to hear about the Kanchanaburi and the death railway.
Best wishes and keep on travel and share the experience with us. Through you, we can feel the distant locations..
stampedmoments
Yes, Sajith, it was one of the best travel experiences that we have had.
Thank you!
Mamta Sharma
Amazingly beautiful 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
stampedmoments
Thanks a lot!
Saurabh Ranjan
Thanku so much to share such kind of information about death railway. I think it’s very helpful for those people who try to experience death railway. And keep traveling my dear & sharing your experience with us😊😊
stampedmoments
It’s indeed worth visiting. If you happen to be in Thailand sometime, please keep it in your schedule.
Thanks a lot!
Ramanjeet Gupta
The information in your blog is useful indeed as it contains the condensed travel information about the Death Railway.
Reading your travel experience through your blog, the one thing which I say to myself: I wish I could do that.
I wish to find the life which you have found that offers you the freedom to travel which is one of the purest form of education.
stampedmoments
Absolutely, seeing things/places for yourself and interacting with people leave an indelible mark on your understanding and conscience.
We feel lucky in many ways to be able to travel extensively.
Glad that you liked the narrative. Thanks a lot for your feedback, Raman.
Shrusti
I was just thinking about the movie when I saw the title of the piece ! So well researched and written I really like how you have included parts of the mueseum. Loved this piece!
stampedmoments
Yes, that movie is really impactful. A very well made movie; just loved it.
Glad that you liked the piece. Thanks Shrusti for the feedback.
Shrikant Bansod
Wow, first of all I would like to congratulate you for creating such a fabulous blog. The theme looks very elegant and the information shared is too handy. I love reading your blog and even inspired from it. Love your work and keep rocking. Cheers!!
stampedmoments
Thanks a lot, Shrikant for your encouraging feedback.
Keep reading, and keep sharing your ideas/ thoughts on travel.
Best!
Shrikant Bansod
Deeply impressive and immensely sad to see this history in the flesh so to speak.
stampedmoments
Yeah, it was a dark past of the place; but it’s also very beautiful.
A life-changing experience, you may say.
RC Lenka
Beautifully narrated. The reader need not to visit the place. A kind of virtual visit as I scrolled down.. Amazing….
stampedmoments
Good to know that you felt that way.
Thanks buddy for reading and sharing your thoughts.
Carole
Fascinating post. I’m a train enthusiast so I loved reading about this amazing journey and its historical significance. But I also agree with you on the subject of war. It’s important to visit places like the Death Railway just to remind ourselves that life is precious and that war is the absolute last resort for the resolution of conflict. When I hear about what is happening in Ukraine, I ask myself whether we will ever learn our lesson.
stampedmoments
Hi Carole! First, thanks for reading, and sharing your feedback.
I like your thoughts on war; our leaders are failing us for sure.
Ironically, they are the ones entrusted with our progress!
David Cronk
As an Australian, The Burma Railway holds a special place in our history. I have visited all the places that you showed in your article and its a great representation of the trip. In the cemetery where you see all the different religions of the people who died its a reminder that religion should not divide people.
stampedmoments
Hello David!
I’m so glad that you liked the article.
Yes, I agree with you, religion should never be a dividing factor.
The cemetery, the museum and the whole area emanate so many strong emotions!
Thanks a lot for your feedback.