Railway Bangkok-Thonburi-Sungai Kolok
Bangkok-Thonburi-Sungai Kolok | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Entrance building of the original Bangkok Thonburi train station
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Route length: | 1144.3 km | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gauge : | 1000 mm ( meter gauge ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dual track : | 48 km | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The railway line Bangkok-Thonburi-Sungai Kolok ( "Southern Railway" ) connects Bangkok with the Malay Peninsula and thus establishes the connection to the Malaysian State Railway (KTM). The southern runway is operated by the Thai State Railways.
prehistory
In 1894, the Danish engineer Aage Westenholz (1859-1935), uncle of the writer Karen Blixen , received a concession to build a line from Bangkok to Phetchaburi . As with other, similar railroad construction projects in Thailand at the time, the start of construction failed due to the difficulty of raising sufficient capital for the project. When, due to this situation, the Thai state decided in 1898 to let the state itself build the main connections in the country, it bought back the concession. Other requests for concessions made by contractors for railway lines in the Thai part of the Malay Peninsula were all denied.
construction
first section
After the Thai state bought back the Westenholz concession, the Royal Railway Department (RRD) in the Ministry of Public Works under Karl Bethge planned the route to Phetchaburi. Construction began in April 1900. In contrast to the remaining Thai railway network in standard gauge was built, the state railway chose here the meter gauge to a later seamless transition to the meter-gauge railways also in Burma and Malaya easier. This was all the easier as the southern runway was initially unable to get a rail connection to the rest of the network, as there was not yet a bridge over the Mae Nam Chao Phraya . The line therefore did not start from Bangkok's Hua Lamphong main train station , but received its own terminus in Thonburi , Thonburi station . Its reception building was designed in the style of brick expressionism by the German architect Karl Döhring .
British influence
The extension of the line beyond Phetchaburi was initially not possible after an uprising in the north of the country gave top priority to the construction of the northern railway and all resources were concentrated on it. So private investors came back into play, trying to get concessions to extend the route to the south. Among the applicants was also the teak entrepreneur Louis Leonowens , son of Anna Leonowens (“ The King and I ”). After previous experiences, Thailand insisted on state railway construction and tried to get a loan for the southern railway in Europe. As the German Empire got closer to this idea, Great Britain accelerated its negotiations with Thailand. It strove to rule southern Thailand - at least economically - and was afraid of German influence on this railway line. This led to two treaties between Great Britain and Thailand, both signed on March 10, 1909. One regulated constitutional issues, the second the construction of the southern runway. With this second contract, the UK committed a £ 4m loan for the project. To eliminate any German influence, a second Thai state railway administration was founded under the British Henry Gittens (it was called from 1913: "Southern RRD") because the existing RRD was headed by the German Karl Bethge. The latter was called from 1912 "Northern RRD".
completion
Because of the length of the route, construction was pushed forward simultaneously from three locations: from Phetchaburi to the south, from Songkhla port on the east coast and from Kantang port on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula.
As a result, sections that were ready for operation were put into operation, e.g. B .:
- 1911: Phetchaburi - Hua Hin in two stages,
- 1913: Kantang - Huai Yot
- January 1, 1914: Kantang - Thung Song Junction
- January 1, 1914: Songkhla - Phatthalung
- January 1, 1914: Hua Hin– Wang Phong
- October 1, 1914: The sections advanced by Kantang and Songkhla are merged.
- October 1, 1916: The southern and northern tunneling meet at Chumphon , and continuous operations are opened.
The Northern RRD had to cede the meter-gauge line from Bangkok-Thonburi to Phetchaburi, which had already been built under their leadership, to the southern state railway. This was not only technically sensible, because there was such a uniform administration for each of the two gauges operated by the state , but also a political balancing act of Thailand, which was initially neutral until 1917 during the First World War : the northern RRD worked under the German director Karl Bethgen , which southern under the British Henry Gittens , whose countries of origin were now enemies of the war.
After Thailand entered the war on the British and French sides on July 22, 1917, the connection of the Malay with the Thai railway network was given high priority. Initially, it was planned to establish the connection via the route following the east coast of Malaysia. The construction of the line in Malaysia was slow. So the administrations decided to establish a connection with the Malay Western Railway. This was put into operation in 1918. The route over the eastern border crossing Sungai Kolok could not go into operation until November 1, 1921.
business
On April 1, 1903, traffic on the first completed section between Bangkok-Thonburi and Phetchaburi was started with provisional rolling stock: the delivery of a considerable part of the vehicles had been delayed. Only when these had arrived was the official opening on June 19, 1903 by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). Further sections followed successively from 1911 until July 1, 1918, traffic to Malaysia via Padang Besar was started - initially with two Trains per week that ran with a travel time of 60 hours. An official opening ceremony did not take place - due to the war. In 1922 night traffic and sleeping cars were introduced. Until then, long-distance journeys were interrupted for overnight stays. The RSR maintained hotels at large train stations for this purpose. The travel time from Bangkok to Penang was reduced to just over 30 hours.
The Thonburi station was in an air raid in the Second World War destroyed the 1945th After the war, Field Marshal Phibul Songkhram had the reception building rebuilt in the original style. In 2003, the terminus of the line was moved west to the previous Bangkok Noi station in order to be able to use the vacated railway area for the expansion of the Siriraj Hospital. Bangkok Noi has been renamed Thon Buri Station . The former station building has not been used since then. It is to be included in the expansion of the hospital.
Also in 2003 the line to Nakhon Pathom was double- tracked.
Some train stations or stops along the route in the south of the country have been closed for security reasons following the recommendation of the military. This is where separatists from the Muslim - Malay south and the Thai military fight each other . There have been repeated attacks on the southern runway.
Branch lines
The branch line to Songkhla is 29 km long and was opened on January 1, 1914. The branch station was initially U-Taphao Junction (km 925.80). The location of the branch station was chosen unfavorably: It was in the floodplain of the Khlong U-Taphao . For this reason, the branch to the newly built Hat Yai Junction station (km 928.58) was moved in 1922 . The branch line was closed on July 1, 1978.
The branch line from Khao Chum Thong Junction (781.01 km) to Nakhon Si Thammarat is 35 km long. It opened on October 1, 1914.
particularities
South of Phetchaburi there was an approximately 12 km long " siding " to the beach of Hat Chao Samran , which was used exclusively to enable King Vajiravudh (Rama VI.) And his court to travel directly to the summer palace there by special train from 1921 to 1923 . The branch station for this connection was called Phra Ram Ratchaniwet and, like the track to Hat Chao Samran, was abandoned when the king stopped going there in the summer.
Hua Hin Railway Station has a separate pavilion as a reception building for the king , which was built around 1920.
project
The double-track expansion of the southern runway is to be continued as far as Surat Thani .
traffic
A number of long-distance connections to and from Bangkok are offered on the southern runway, but not all of them cover the entire length of the route. As a rule, long-distance traffic via the southern railway in Bangkok only uses the Hua Lamphong station . The following are offered daily:
- 10 pairs of trains to Surat Thani . These include two DRC express trains , one of which is a night connection. These trains continue to run
- 5 pairs of trains to Hat Yai , including the DRC night express train. These trains continue to run
- 2 pairs of trains to Sungai Kolok and the
- International train to Butterworth . In fact, these are two air-conditioned 2nd class sleeping cars that will be removed as through cars from the train that otherwise ends in Hat Yai and will cross the border.
- 2 pairs of trains to Trang .
- 5 pairs of trains to Hat Yai , including the DRC night express train. These trains continue to run
The Eastern and Oriental Express luxury train also runs the route.
literature
- BR Whyte: The Railway Atlas of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia . White Lotus Co Ltd, Bangkok 2010, ISBN 978-974-480-157-9
Web links
- The Songkhla to Hat Yai Rail Line , photo report from 2004 about the disused branch line from Hat Yai to Songkhla (English); Retrieved April 21, 2014.
Remarks
- ↑ Longest branch.
- ^ Highest station on the Südbahn.
- ↑ Fourth longest railway tunnel in Thailand
- ↑ In a comparable political situation, German loans had secured the financing of the Ottoman Empire for the Anatolian Railway , the Baghdad Railway and the Hejaz Railway .
- ↑ January 1, 1914 was the 33rd birthday of King Vajiravudh (Rama VI.)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Information from Whyte: The Railway Atlas , pp. 46–52, 55; Cards 9, 14-21.
- ↑ a b c d Whyte: The Railway Atlas of Thailand '', p. 45.
- ^ A b Whyte: The Railway Atlas of Thailand '', p. 40.
- ↑ See Whyte: Railway Atlas , pp. 2, 12.
- ↑ a b c Whyte: The Railway Atlas of Thailand '', p. 42.
- ^ Whyte: The Railway Atlas of Thailand '', p. 41.
- ^ Whyte: The Railway Atlas of Thailand , pp. 40, 45.
- ^ A b Whyte: The Railway Atlas of Thailand , p. 55.
- ↑ Whyte: The Railway Atlas of Thailand , gives different times for this: p. 3: 31½ hours; P. 55: 36 hours.
- ↑ a b c d Whyte: The Railway Atlas of Thailand , p. 43.
- ^ Whyte: The Railway Atlas of Thailand , p. 54.
- ^ Whyte: The Railway Atlas of Thailand , pp. 53f.
- ↑ Information from: The Man in Seat 61: Train Travel in Thailand .