Burma Railway

Burma Railway
The railroad bridge over the Khwae Yai River in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand.
Overview
Other name(s)	Death Railway Nam Tok Line Siam–Burma Railway Thai–Burma Railway
Native name	泰緬連接鉄道 (Japanese)
Locale	Ban Pong, Thailand to Thanbyuzayat, Burma
Termini	Nong Pladuk Junction Nam Tok Sai Yok Noi
Former connections	Nam Tok Sai Yok Noi–Thanbyuzayat
Service
Type	Heavy rail
Operator(s)	State Railway of Thailand
History
Commenced	1942–1947
Opened	25 October 1943 (1943-10-25)
Built by	Prisoners of war and civilian laborers
Closed	1 February 1947 (1947-02-01)
Reopened	1 July 1958 (1958-07-01) (Nong Pladuk–Nam Tok)
Technical
Line length	415 km (258 mi)
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge[1]
Route map Legend State Railway of Thailand Nong Pla Duk Nong Pla Duk Junction State Railway of Thailand Ban Pong Mai Sa Kosi Narai Ruk Khe Tha Ruea Noi Tha Muang Kanchanaburi Khwae Yai Bridge Bridge on the River Kwai Khao Pun Chungkai POW Camp Wang Lan Wang Yen Tha Pong Ban Kao Tha Kilen Lum Sum Ai Hit Tham Krasae Bridge Wang Pho Viaduct Wang Pho Wang Yai Tha Sao POW Camp Nam Tok (Tha Sao) Nam Tok Sai Yok Noi Tonchan Tampii Hellfire Pass Hin Tok Kannyu Saiyok Kinsaiyok Lin Thin Kui Yae Hindat Prang Kasi Yongthi Tha Kanun Nam Chon Yai Tha Mayo Tamrong Patho Kroeng Krai Kurikonta Konkoita Thimongtha Shimo Ni Thea Ni Thea Sonkrai Chaunggahla-ya Three Pagodas Pass Thailand–Burma border Paya-thanzu Tuang Aungganaung Regue Kyondaw Lawa Apalon Bridge Apalon Apalaine Mezali Kami Mezali Lonsi Taungzun Thanbaya POW Camp Thanbaya Anankwin Myettaw Beketaung Tanyin Retphaw Konnoki Rabao Thetkaw Wagale Sin-Thanbyuzayat Myanmar Railways Thanbyuzayat Myanmar Railways

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). It was built from 1940 to 1943 by South East Asian civilians abducted and forced to work by the Japanese and a smaller group of captured Allied soldiers, to supply troops and weapons in the Burma campaign of World War II. It completed the rail link between Bangkok, Thailand, and Rangoon, Burma. The name used by the Japanese Government was Tai–Men Rensetsu Tetsudō (泰緬連接鉄道), which means Thailand-Burma-Link-Railway.

At least 250,000 Southeast Asian civilians were subjected to forced labour to ensure the construction of the Death Railway and more than 90,000 civilians died building it, as did around 12,000 Allied soldiers. The workers on the Thai side of the railway were Tamils, Malays, and fewer Chinese civilians from Malaya. Possibly over 345,000 died while working, with the death rate per month rivaling that of Auschwitz.^[2]

Most of these civilians were moved to ‘rest camps’ after October 1943, they remained in these camps after the end of the war as they watched the Allied POWs being evacuated. Survivors were still living in the camps in 1947. They were British subjects who, without access to food or medical care, continued to die of malaria, dysentery and malnutrition. They had survived the ordeal of the Railway only to die in the ‘rest camps’. No compensation or reparations have been provided to the Southeast Asian victims.^[3][4][5]

Most of the railway was dismantled shortly after the war. Only the first 130 kilometres (81 mi) of the line in Thailand remained, with trains still running as far north as Nam Tok.