Kra Isthmus Railway

The Burma Railway (Death Railway) made famous by the film Bridge over the River Kwai, is well known, however the Japanese also attempted to make a shorter connection to Burma starting in Chumphon.

On 8th December 1941, the Japanese army landed at Pak Nam Chumphon. Other than a bit of a skirmish at the Tha Nang Sang Bridge the Japanese moved quickly and had captured Victoria Point in Burma by the end of the month. Because of the difficult terrain, with narrow and steep winding paths, it was not easy to move troops, supplies and heavy weapons along this route. Therefore, the idea of constructing a railway was considered.

Surveying of the railway route began on 16th May 1943 headed by Japanese Lt. Col. Kumota and a team of 15 people which included Thai Police Col. Chidchanok Kridakorn. The line proposed was to run parallel with Chumphon-Kraburi Highway No. 4 from Chumphon railyard to La Un river in Ranong, some 90 km away. On 31st May 1943 an agreement was signed, between the Thai Supreme Commander and the Commander of the Japanese Army, for the construction of the railway across the Kra Isthmus.

A shortage of labour was a major problem because the majority of Thai villagers were employed in other areas of the war effort. With no heavy earth moving equipment available the Japanese relied heavily upon prisoners of war and slave labour (Malaysian and Thai Chinese). They were brought to Chumphon Station by train and then marched the long distance to the construction sites. Many of these workers died from exhaustion, lack of food/water, heat and disease. Skilled Thai carpenters were used for the construction of the wooden bridges.

Work on the railway commenced in June 1943 with construction being completed in under 6 months.

• Col. Sugikara Masaharu was the Chief of the Diversion and Mr. Kamahashi as Construction Supervisor.
• Work is divided into 3 groups, Kinjo group, Nishimoto group and Kago group whereby 24 hour working was achieved. 
• Locally sourced wood was used for the railway sleepers and 31 bridges constructed along the route.
• The track rails were taken from existing lines in Kalantan, Malaysia and transported to the construction sites on freight wagons. The track gauge was 56.5 inches, the same as the existing Thai lines.
• An advanced water supply system installed at Chumphon station to feed the steam trains. The large water tank with 3 pumps are thought to have been taken from Malaysia.

The railway began south of Chumphon at Km. 469 + 805.30.  Along the length of the railway 7 substations were built, being Wang Phai Station, Tha San Station, Pak Chan Station, Thap Lee Station, Kraburi Station, Khlong Luang Station, Khao Fachee Station.  All stations were constructed of softwood and bamboo. The tracks ended at Khao Fa Chi. 

For heavy use the Japanese only used the railway for 11 months. Goods and equipment which were transported by trains would by transferred onto boats moored in the La-un canal. They would then cruise to Song Island, about 2 hours, and then transfered onto the Burmese mainland.

On 26th November 1944 about 20 allied bombers attacked the railway. Chumphon railway station and shipment yard was left in a mass of flames after RAF Liberators flew a round trip of 2,300 miles to bomb the strategic targets.

Attempts were made to keep the railway open but with continued bombing the final blow came on 19 March 1945 when allied air attacks destroyed the ship loading facilities at the Khao Fa Chi Port. This meant that the railway line could no longer be used for transporting heavy weapons. Only food and light equipment could be moved along it to the soldiers at Victoria Point. 

More wartime photos of the bombing of Chumphon can be found here - Wartime Photos.

With the war going against the Japanese and not wishing the railway line to get into enemy hands on 15 June 1945 Japanese soldiers demolished the railway line starting from Khao Fa Chi Port at km 30 to km 28. The Japanese surrendered on 10th August 1945 and their army was disarmed. 

Most of the information above was found in a journal published by Kyoto Seika University and within the message board Rotfaithai.com.

Have not been able to find any maps with the railway line marked other than this one which appeared in the L509 topographic map set by the Army Map Service, displacement NC47-7, 1st edition, 1956. Clearly states the railway line as abandoned.

Unlike the death railway up in Kanchanaburi today there is little trace of Kra Isthmus Railway. It seems to have been wiped from history, no memorials or anything. After the war British soldiers dismantled what was left of the railway with the rails being returned to Kalantan in Malaysia. Wooden sleepers and bridges if they had been left in place would have rotted by now and with Highway No. 4 having been widened this most probably removing any trace of embankments and cuttings.

So what can be found

1) On the approach road to Chumphon Station is part of the water supply system, the equipment used to fill the trains. 

2) Bridge foundations - Natouchchapong Mamueang posted on Facebook this picture but sadly did not advise their location.

3) An old locomotive has been left stranded in Ranong, 90km from any nowadays railway track. 

Location - https://goo.gl/maps/ZLPCYdLgEg9vgyKZ8

In August 2020 a reminder to this railway was when an unexploded 500 lb bomb was found during the construction of the new high speed line.

In recent years the Thai Government have considered re-opening this line.