Particle.news
Get it on Google Play
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
4mo ago

Nithe Station on WWII 'Death Railway' Resurfaces as Dam Reservoir Is Drained

The exposure gives researchers a short window to recover artifacts before the reservoir refills in August.

A train crosses the River Kwai Bridge, one of the most inconic sections of the infamous World War II "Death Railway," in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Anton L. Delgado)
A family of Russian tourists pose for photos as a train approaches Thamkra Sae Station, one of the still active sections of the infamous World War II "Death Railway," in Sai Yok, Thailand, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Anton L. Delgado)
Local residents take pictures of artefacts from Nithe Station, part of the infamous World War II "Death Railway," in Sangkhlaburi, Thailand on Friday, May 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Anton L. Delgado)
Researchers walk into the empty reservoir where Nithe Station, a depot on World War II's infamous "Death Railway" resurfaced after the reservoir was drained in Sangkhlaburi, Thailand on Friday, May 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Anton L. Delgado)

Overview

  • The depot at Nithe Station reappeared after authorities drained the Vajiralongkorn Dam reservoir for maintenance, creating newly accessible remains of the 415-kilometer Thailand–Myanmar railway.
  • Researchers who traveled to the site have scanned and mapped wartime features and recovered metal artifacts such as iron dog spikes and bridge staples.
  • The resurfacing has drawn hundreds of local visitors and large social-media attention, which has increased pressure on officials and volunteers to document the site quickly.
  • Time is urgent because dam maintenance is due to finish in August and seasonal rains are expected to refill the reservoir, likely ending this brief chance for on-site study.
  • The discovery reconnects material evidence to the railway’s human toll—built by roughly 60,000 Allied POWs and hundreds of thousands of Asian laborers with widely cited death estimates of about 12,500 POWs and 75,000 laborers—and may spur renewed preservation and family-history work at museums and memorials.