Death Railway

The Bridge on the River Kwai & Death Railway

The bridge over River Kwai is one of attractions in Kanchanaburi most visited by tourists. It became internationally famous thanks to cinema, with the movie "The Bridge on the River Kwai", and several books, such as the novel "The Narrow Road to the Deep North" by Richard Flanagan. Still in use today, the black iron rail bridge was originally part of the tragic Death Railway. The 415km long railway line was built on the orders of Japanese Empire to support its forces in the campaign in Burma, during the Second World War. The Death Railway was the link between Ban Pong in Thailand to Thanbyuzayat in Burma, and was the completion of connection between Bangkok and Rangoon, now Yangon. For its construction were used 60,000 Allied prisoners of war, POWs, and at least 180,000 forced labourers of Asian origin, called Romusha. According to estimates, of them died of starvation and immense effort least 90,000 Romusha and 12,621 POWs, a figure established. The list of POWs died included: 6,904 British, 2,802 Australians, 2782 Dutch, and 133 Americans. The remains of the prisoners of war died are preserved in two war cemeteries in Kanchanaburi, the Don-Rak War Cemetery and the Chonk-Kai War Cemetery. The Don-Rak War Cemetery, also known as the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, is located opposite the railway station, on Saengchote Road. The Chonk-Kai War Cemetery is located about 2 km south of the city, on the bank of the River Kwai Noi. After the war, the line was closed in 1947. Later the line was removed, and sold its iron rails, because of its danger and also because judged politically and morally undesirable. The section between Nong Pla Duk and Namtok was reopened ten years later, in 1957. It also includes the bridge over the River Kwai. The original black iron bridge was brought by the Japanese from the island of Java. Target of frequent Allied bombings during the Second World War has been restored. The curved spans of the bridge are still the original. The trains every day continue to follow the historical path of the Death Railway, in the stretch between Kanchanaburi Railway Station and the station in Nam Tok, passing right by the bridge over the River Kwai.Read More