Original subtitles

♪ ♪ ♪

Welcome to thailand!

(Teddy) we're riding on a railway

That's a backpacker's dream and every builder's nightmare.

(Teddy) where 40 year old trains

Battle weather beaten tracks.

(Teddy) travel through complete chaos.

I've never seen anything like this.

Hello! Come in, come in!

(Teddy) and the most challenging terrain.

These trains show what it truly means to be mighty!

♪ ♪ ♪

The kingdom of thailand famous for tropical beaches,

Holy temples and vibrant street life.

It's the exotic jewel of southeast asia and there's

No better way to see it than by train.

We're gonna cross a ton of different landscapes on this journey.

So, we're almost at the station

And I can't wait to jump on my first train.

(Teddy) my 4 day 1,300 kilometer

Journey starts here at the station in surat thani.

Thanks!

♪ ♪ ♪

For the first leg of my trip I'm heading out along

The shores of the gulf of thailand to the sprawling

Metropolis of bangkok.

From there I'll head north again through lopburi in

Thailand's central plains, before climbing into

The peaks of the thai highlands to the

Ancient city of chiang mai.

(train master on megaphone)

There are a dozen trains that take passengers to bangkok every day.

When you get to the station it's a bit of a rush.

You only have a few minutes to grab your stuff

And get on board.

The state runs the trains in thailand.

They have 250 locomotives in their fleet.

Most are at least 40 years old,

But they are workhorses.

Exactly what's needed to battle thailand's

Punishing terrain and weather.

(Teddy) made in France this alstom locomotive is

16.2 meters long, 3.9 meters high and 2.8 meters wide.

It's powered by a 2400 horsepower diesel electric engine.

It will be pulling 6 carriages with

A hundred and thirty eight passengers.

With a top speed of only 95 kilometers an hour

Thai trains aren't built for speed,

More like tanks ready for battle.

We just left the train station in surat thani,

Taking our time getting out of town.

Soon we'll be up at a much faster clip and we've

Got a long way to go.

Show me your ticket, please.

(Teddy) my journey starts on thailand's southern line.

Over one thousand kilometers, it's the longest in the entire country.

The southern line was completed in the early 1920's.

It connected bangkok, singapore and malaysia

And it resulted in the first real tourist boom for thailand.

But it's not just tourists riding the train.

Third class carriages are most popular with locals and backpackers.

There are no assigned seats and just a rickety

Fan blowing hot air, but fares are cheap.

A third-class ticket from surat thani to bangkok

Will set you back 217 thai baht,

Just over nine canadian dollars.

Lots of different classes and types of

Cabins on this train so the seating in each are

Often very different.

Second class appeals to the flash packer set

Travellers willing to spend more for comfortable

Seating and air conditioning.

A ticket here will cost you almost 28 canadian dollars.

As far as first class?

Well there is none.

(Teddy) fifty million people ride these trains every year.

I want all the passengers to enjoy their trip.

(Teddy) to handle the sheer volume of riders,

30 year old carriages, once deemed obsolete, are refurbished.

We're focused on passengers' safety and the solidity

Of the carriage structure.

(Teddy) every four years carriages

Are given a major overhaul at the makkasan depot in bangkok

A massive workshop that's the size of almost

3000 regulation tennis courts.

We cut out and scrape off the old rusted panels.

Put new metal panels on and weld and grind them so

That it's ready for putty coating and new paint.

By overhauling them we can extend their lifetime for another 4 years.

(Teddy) despite their age, the refurbished carriage

Come out looking brand new and ready to go back out on the line.

Ninety per cent of thailand's rail lines

Are single track, meaning trains traveling

In different directions and at different speeds

All have to share the same line.

It's a complicated dance coordinated out of central

Train control in bangkok.

At the ctc we deal with many trains from different lines.

Thailand's rail network is made up of five different lines.

Busier routes around the capital city of bangkok

Are tracked by computer-controlled

Signals and train locators.

For example, line number 112 is currently 3 minutes behind schedule.

For the other 90 percent of the lines, technology isn't as advanced.

(Teddy) to track trains in these areas, including the one we're

On now, traffic control staff call

Stations and drivers directly.

(Teddy) routes are plotted out with graph paper and rulers.

We have to stop according to the official track schedule.

(Teddy) with 300 passenger and cargo trips every day

Throughout the country, even the tiniest mistake

Or miscommunication can turn deadly.

If something happen like an accident we cannot control it

And sometimes they crash.

(Teddy) in 2009, 7 people were killed and 88 injured when

A driver on a northbound passenger train fell asleep,

Missed a signal, and collided head on

With a southbound freight train.

The track was so badly damaged that train service

From bangkok along the southern line was cut off for days.

Everyone was affected, whether it was continuing

With their daily chores or commuting.

♪ ♪ ♪

(Teddy) in remote rural areas where there are no signals.

Drivers have to grab a right of way token to be

Allowed to drive on the section of track ahead.

We have the right of way

For this section of the rail till next station.

We are the only train travelling on this section.

(Teddy) if there's no token available, the driver has to stop at

The next pull over to wait for the track to clear.

This is to prevent any collisions.

(Teddy) when the right of way train gets to the next station,

The driver drops off the token for the next

Available train to pick up.

(Teddy) as we get ready to pull into chumphon station.

Right now, I'm on the hunt for something to eat.

I get to see another thai train tradition.

Food vendors coming right up to the windows!

(Teddy) if you do get off to buy something be careful.

(Teddy) the train doesn't stop for long and you don't

Want to be left behind.

Almost didn't make it there!

400 kilometers south of bangkok, we're traveling

Along the gulf of thailand, an area that

Relies heavily on tourism and agriculture.

Now we're in the south of the country.

It's flat, mostly rice fields and forest.

(Teddy) vegetation in this tropical climate grows fast.

So fast, that even in between trimmings,

It can over take the tracks.

That uproots rails, throwing everything off level.

Not only does this mean a bumpy ride

The undercarriages take such a beating that chassis have

To be replaced every year.

(Teddy) during this annual two-day maintenance,

The engine carriage and chassis of the locomotive

Are separated, the engine is serviced,

While the chassis gets a complete overhaul.

What weare doing here is taking the chassis apart,

Repair the equipment, repair the frame,

Weld, grind and put it all back together.

(Teddy) over a thousand workers focus on keeping all

Locomotives and carriages rail ready.

(whistle blows)

Even with regular maintenance, driving one

Of these powerful machines is a challenge, especially in monsoon season.

It's raining and there may be flooding ahead.

(Teddy) monsoon season can last up to five months

Battering rail lines with tropical storms,

Gale force winds and flash floods.

The rain is not heavy yet.

I think we can pass through it.

(Teddy) as day turns to night the rain gets heavier.

Train staff are on high alert.

But their tools are extremely low tech.

I'm using a flash light to check the water level

Along the rail to see if the level of the water is getting higher.

(Teddy) when traveling across flooded tracks, the faster the speed,

The higher the water kicks up.

If it splashes too high,

It gets into the traction motors.

That can cause a short circuit stopping the

Motors and crippling the entire train.

If the water is higher than 10 cm above the track

We have to stop as the systems below the train are all electrical parts.

(Teddy) as water around the track

Rises, our train grinds to a halt.

We're stranded in the middle of the thai wilderness.

♪ ♪ ♪

(Teddy) 6 hours into my trek across thailand

Torrential rains have stopped our train in its track.

(Teddy) causing alarm at traffic control.

For traffic control operations, flooding on a scale that

Stops the trains is one of the biggest challenges we face.

(Teddy) and dispatcher phurish has already experienced

The worst in thailand's history.

In 2011 severe monsoons washed out nearly all

Of north and central thailand.

More than 85 percent of the country was considered

A disaster zone.

815 people died and more than 13 million were affected.

It was a natural disaster that we will all remember.

(Teddy) total damage to the rail lines

Was more than 125 million canadian dollars.

On our trek, the rain starts to let up and we're

Given the go ahead to start rolling again.

(Teddy) we crawl ahead at a reduced speed.

While the train crew prepares for higher water

Levels and worst case scenarios.

We have to stop and coordinate with

The station on how to evacuate

The passengers and get them to their destinations.

(Teddy) panya is the train master.

He supervises the entire train and the card men

Who work under him.

I have to check the tickets and give

The signals at the station for passengers to get on and off.

I have to take care of the safety of the passengers

And make sure everything is in order.

(Teddy) we're making our way slowly into bang saphan,

Seven hours south of bangkok.

It's partway through our trip.

We're just coming up to a station here,

We're about to stop.

(Teddy) with passengers

And local villagers using the station as shelter from the rains

The card men's job is complex.

(Teddy) and you know it's interesting,

Travelling around the world by train,

It's incredible how fast and easily we get from

Station to station.

To overcome language barriers with international passengers

Card men rely on a simple two colour system.

Now we're giving the red signal for passengers to get on and off.

When all the passengers have boarded, then I will

Give the green-light signal.

(Teddy) blink and you could miss the green light

Not to mention the train entirely.

We've actually got to get back on now

Because they're about to go.

Not only do card men have to worry about leaving passengers behind

They make sure they're comfortable.

Hello, sawadeekrap. Do you have number?

29 kriang, you have now sleeping now little?

Oh, yes, yes. Perfect, great.

Thanks a lot.

There it is.

(Teddy) each berth has a top fold down bunk and a lower one.

It's got a curtain and everything for privacy.

(Teddy) these sleeper seats are a great option on late

And overnight trips for travellers like alan,

An american ex-pat who does business throughout thailand.

When I'm in country, I only take the train.

I just take, travel on the train.

So, I get to where I'm going, I'm all refreshed.

I've had a nice, relaxing afternoon-evening,

Do a little work or just hang out, get up in the morning

Ready to go when I get to my spot.

(Teddy) more adventurous or budget-minded passengers

Do what they can to sleep but I prefer something

With a little more room to stretch out.

Not bad.

Alright, time for bed.

After a good night's sleep, we're stopping in the beach

Town of hua hin to switch trains.

Yeah, we'll go right in.

Our new driver, banjert is behind the wheel.

This is a regular rural train.

We have to stop to let passengers on and off at each station.

(Teddy) one of those passengers is ham, a local blogger

Who's offered to fill me in the history of thai trains.

How difficult was it to build a railway system here?

In the past it was very hard because we don't

Have any the technology like present day.

Yeah.

(Teddy) in the late 19th century,

King rama the fifth wanted to unite the country with a national rail line.

Progress was slow.

In the first five years, they only managed to lay

74 kilometers of rail.

About 18 kilometers a year.

Today, the train is one of the most popular

Ways to travel through thailand.

Maintaining the lines is a top priority.

So ham, how much maintenance is required to keep this track operating well?

Rehabilitation, track straightening,

Change the sleeper from the wooden to the concrete.

Put more ballast, change the new rail.

And then daily maintenance before the train coming.

So I mean, crews are always working on this

On these tracks right?

Yes, yes.

(Teddy) to improve the current system the thai government

Is spending billions of dollars on new infrastructure

So they can run more trains, faster.

The first priority is doubling up the track.

This is a mobile flash butt welder.

This is the only machine in thailand

The only mobile flash butt welder in thailand.

(Teddy) john sexton is a welding

Specialist laying down thailand's double track.

Other projects, they weld the rail in the yard.

This one, we can just drop 25-meter rail

And continuously weld it.

The first step is up there where we grind the rail.

That's to give it good electrical contact.

Then we come here, we set up the rail.

Give it a little slight pick up, about of a mil.

Then drop the head on it.

And close the head.

Then it starts welding.

It sends electrical current to each rail

One negative, one positive.

And it causes an arc, and heats the rail up.

It gets over 13 hundred degrees celsius,

And then when it gets to that melting point it just

Pushes two rails together at high pressure and fuses them

Forges them together.

(Teddy) upset or excess metal is then trimmed off

And given time to cool down.

Yeah, if you put your hand near the rail it would melt.

It's so hot.

It doesn't cool down for about at least an hour after.

(Teddy) using this method,

They can typically run 1.5 kilometers of rail per day.

Even at that speed it would take a minimum

Of 7 years to get dual track laid across the entire country.

There are over 100 derailments a year in thailand,

Mostly due to damaged rail.

Existing tracks are checked by permanent way inspectors.

We are inspecting the track surface that has scratches.

We will ask the maintenance team to polish the track surface

Back to its original profile.

(Teddy) just as tracks are smoothed out, the train wheels are polished

At the makkasan maintenance depot.

If the wheels were not changed and reprofiled,

It would create grooves on the rails and cause accelerated wear on the wheels.

It could cause the wheels to break and cause severe safety issues.

(Teddy) the computerized lathe is so accurate it profiles

Wheels to the correct diameter within 0.15 millimeters

Essentially the thickness of two pieces of paper.

At full efficiency, this machine can process 24 wheel-axles a day,

Which means about 480 a month.

(Teddy) they do such a good job that it's been smooth

Running on our train.

(Teddy) but as we get closer to bangkok, that could all change!

I've never seen anything like this.

♪ ♪ ♪

(Teddy) I'm on a once in a lifetime train journey through thailand.

Just outside the capital city of bangkok,

We're about to go over the rama six bridge.

Originally built in 1922 during the reign of the 6th monarch of siam

The 441 meter railway bridge was rebuilt after it was bombed

By the u.S. In world war two.

Cool yeah.

We're coming up on it right now.

Yes.

This bridge connect between northern line

And southern line together.

(Teddy) bangkok is one of the

Most visited cities in the in the word.

More tourists come here than london, paris, new york or dubai.

It was great riding the rails with you, ham.

Yes.

Welcome to bangkok, you will love it.

Yeah, I'm excited to check it out.

Thank you, man.

Bye-bye.

(Teddy) bangkok is famous for street food and outdoor markets

And I've found a place that's the best of both.

Talad rod fai market translates to 'train market',

Because the original location years ago was right between two train stations.

This is the new spot, it's a little further

From the trains, but they kept the name.

And the big selling point here is the food.

Lots of local thai delicacies and I'm gonna dig into some.

What is that? Squid?

It's a big squid.

What is this here?

This one is silk worm.

Silk worm.

What is this?

Crickets?

This one is grasshopper.

Grasshopper?

Oh, yeah,

This is a bamboo worm.

Bamboo worm?

Yes.

Can I see the scorpion?

Of course, yes.

Whoah!

Put it...

Sleep.

So, what does it taste like when it's fully cooked?

Ah, surprise.

Surprise?

You have to eat.

Surprise, okay.

Alright, surprise.

Okay, here we go...

Hi buddy.

It's really good, it's really well seasoned.

It's very nice.

Yeah it's great, it's really good!

This market is awesome.

There's a great energy here, it's so full of life.

It's great.

(Teddy) with a tasty meal

And a good night's sleep under my belt,

I'm at thonburi station in bangkok.

This excursion train will take me

111 kilometers west to the village of kanchanaburi.

There a section of the original thai burma railway

Still runs on the shores of the kwai river.

Coming up to a part of the railway that's

Steeped in history and it's a real brutal history.

During their occupation of thailand in world war 2,

Japan forced allied p.O.W.'s and civilian workers to build

A 415 kilometer long rail line over 600 bridges

And along dangerous rock faces.

So many prisoners of war and forced labourers

Died constructing this part of the track that it's known

As the 'death railway'.

To many prisoners had lost their life here,

One life for each wooden sleeper.

(Teddy) I'm meeting angmo,

A local guide, to learn more about

The history of the death railway.

Tell me about the conditions of these p.O.W.'s

And forced labourers were working under while they

Were constructing this.

Yeah. They died because of many ways,

They died because of no food enough, no drink,

No medical care.

They have to work hard, overload, at least 16 hours a day.

Most of them died because of disease and they're weak.

The japanese forced them to work too much.

(Teddy) in sweltering temperatures

Workers were forced to do 6 years-worth of construction

In only 15 months.

Hundreds of workers died every day.

More than a hundred thousand perished in all.

(Teddy) passengers from all over the world get off

The train at the infamous bridge on the river kwai to pay their respects.

Why is it so important to come here and bear witness to history

And find out about what happened here?

All of the people who died along the death railway

They are our heroes.

We respect them a lot.

We came here today to leave

A cross in remembrance of an ancestor of mine.

My grandma's brother.

He died working on the railway.

You know I come from a military family,

Both of my grandfathers fought in the second world war.

I've wanted to see this my whole life and actually

Being here, seeing it physically there, is really something.

(Teddy) leaving kanchanaburi,

We're heading east back towards bangkok.

We'll stop at a busy market that the train

Drives right through 4 times a day!

Look at everybody lined up to get photos.

Just a minute ago this was an active bustling market

And now there's a literally a train going through it!

(Teddy) located at the mouth of the mae klong river,

The market opened over one hundred years ago.

In 1907 the rail way laid a track straight down

The middle of the market.

Vendors refused to move their stalls, they've

Been sharing the space ever since.

The locals know this market as talla rom hoop

Which means 'umbrella pull down market'

You can see there are these umbrellas everywhere.

And they're down now, but really shortly when

The train comes through they'll all have to be pulled up.

When I hear the horn, I will pull the table close,

As well as the awning above my head.

Just wonder how they move so fast from before the train coming, you know.

Looks dangerous to me.

(Teddy) cho is a mainstay at the market.

Her family has had a stall here for over 30 years.

And she wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

For vendors, it is not dangerous at all

Because we know the schedule.

As for tourists, all the vendors help them.

When the train is arriving, we tell them come inside,

That it is dangerous.

There it is, the train is coming.

Most of the umbrellas have gone up.

The last few are going, and the train is right here.

We've got to get off the tracks in just a second.

Okay we gotta get off.

Come in, come in!

Hi! Hive five!

So here we go.

The train has passed and as you can see the

Umbrella's are already back down.

It literally took five seconds for them to turn

It back into a marketplace.

There's tourist's everywhere.

It's really chaotic but awesome.

(Teddy) the bustling market

Carries on with business as usual...

Back on the train nearing bangkok,

Road traffic is really picking up.

Traffic on thai roads is notoriously dangerous.

When those roads cross train tracks

Things can turn deadly.

♪ ♪ ♪

I'm on a train trek through thailand,

Heading to the northern city of chiang mai.

Anyone travelling from bangkok to chiang mai

By train has to come through here,

Hua lamphong railway station.

The heart of thailand's rail system, hua lamphong

Took six years to build.

With 14 platforms it's the main hub for travellers and commuters.

It's over a century old and over sixty thousand people

Use this station every day.

Here, supplies are loaded in and drivers give

The trains a thorough inspection.

I am checking the brakes.

The brake shoe should not contact with the wheel.

(Teddy) our driver mongkol finds a problem.

The brake should retract and release.

Normally the air from the locomotive should reach

The last bogey with full pressure.

The breaks are activated by air pressure,

And that pressure is being lost somewhere between

The locomotive and the last carriage.

(mongkol on radio)

(Teddy) drivers work as train mechanics

For 7 years before getting behind the wheel.

Mongkol relies on his technical background

To find the culprit, a faulty air hose.

If we depart without fixing it and it broke down on the way,

We have no technician or parts to fix it.

So, we will replace it.

The valve is replaced and the brakes are now working properly.

We didn't lose too much time.

(Teddy) after a 30 minute delay,

Our train out of bangkok is ready to depart.

All right, here we go, headed north to chiang mai.

(Teddy) we're heading through thailand's

Central plains and onto the city of lopburi.

From there we'll travel into the thai highlands to

The ancient city of chiang mai.

But first, we've got to get out of bangkok.

Travelling in the bangkok area you need to be very careful

Everywhere because it's very populated.

(Teddy) the greater bangkok area is home to almost 15 million people.

And they aren't shy about taking shortcuts over the tracks.

We have to be very careful.

We have to be aware of the people and the cars.

(Teddy) in April 2016, at a road crossing close

To bangkok, a tour bus crossed the tracks in front of a train.

The train couldn't stop in time.

The collision killed three people and injured thirty.

(Teddy) thailand's state railway

Is working to install barriers and warning signals at

Six hundred unprotected crossings in the country.

Until that happens, drivers reduce their speed

To focus on safety.

There are lots of people everywhere.

I have to blow the horn and turn on my headlights

Because they may not be paying attention.

We're just leaving bangkok and soon this

Is going to change to some spectacular scenery.

(Teddy) heading north of bangkok,

We're entering into the central flood plains that surround

Thailand's major river, chao phraya.

All this really lush green foliage and scenery.

It's totally different

The soil here is made up nutrient rich sediment

Deposited by the river.

Crops such as rice, sugar cane, and tapioca thrive here.

(Teddy) near khon kaen a 40 person construction crew

Is working on a new section of track.

The railway normally runs through the village,

And for this section people in this area want

To preserve their way of living.

(Teddy) to protect farm land they've built a concrete bridge

Two and a half kilometers long and 3 storeys high to elevate the rails.

The project itself is very, very challenging in many aspects.

The track itself is same, but you need to have

A very rigid support.

And that's why they have to have a special support

At the fastener of the rail.

Ballast absorb vibrations of the track.

But on the bridge, concrete sleepers

And support have zero flex.

So special spring arms and underpads are used

To add elasticity.

Vibrations are asorbed back into the rail to

Prevent the concrete from cracking

And weakening the entire system.

We need to continue the pouring.

It's very important, if the machine is stopped

Or it gets stuck now it's gonna create, dry the concrete.

(Teddy) the temperature in thailand can climb to

40 degrees celsius, so concrete dries incredibly fast.

We have to dry and clean it up before the concrete gets dry.

After the concrete's dry you will see the result is right here.

This is the future of the railway in thailand.

(Teddy) 140 kilometers north of bangkok,

I'm making a stop in lopburi.

It's a small village that's over a thousand years old.

I'm really excited to be here and heading

To the prang sam yod temple.

It's a place where thieves, gluttons and beggers have taken over.

But nobody seems to really mind because they're monkeys.

This ancient ruin is known as 'the monkey temple' for good reason.

Hey, oh oh okay, alright.

Macque monkeys are all over thailand.

There are more than twenty five hundred

In and around lopburi.

The more social of the bunch have made their home

At a hindu buddist temple in the center of town.

The monkeys scavenge food from residents and tourists.

They're really naughty.

They like you.

Oh he got them.

Uh oh.

Hi, I don't know if I have anything for you.

Okay, alright.

So this is common.

Okay, alright!

Monkeys everywhere.

It's incredible that the train is just

Steps away from this beautiful iconic temple.

I mean it couldn't be easier to get here

And see the sights.

(Teddy) being close to the tracks helps

Bring tourists but train's vibrations have damaged

The 800 year old temple.

So chat, from thailand's department of fine arts

Worked with engineers to figure out a way to

Prevent it from crumbling.

It was necessary to dig out the base and fill it with concrete.

Then to make the pagoda strong they reinforced it

With steel and concrete.

(Teddy) well, it's a really fascinating place

But I'm really glad that experts are working to

Protect the temple so these monkeys have a home

For another thousand years.

(Teddy) I'm back to my journey north but the most

Treacherous part is still to come.

♪ ♪ ♪

(Teddy) on my train trek across

Thailand we're in the foothills of the himalayas, 200 kilometers

South of my final destination, chiang mai.

From up here in the locomotive,

You can really see that the landscape has changed.

We're getting into the mountains as we approach chiang mai.

Mist and fog are common here as warm air from

The plains meets the cool air of the mountains.

If it's raining and foggy the track will be slippery

And the train will start to sway.

(Teddy) not something you want to

Happen on narrow bridges over deep ravines.

You've just got to hold your breath

And cross your fingers and yeah, you get through it.

(Teddy) passing through the mountains

The elevation increases over 600 meters.

It's very steep.

(Teddy) too steep to climb in one straight shot.

So the train runs on a series of curved tracks

To scale the mountain gradually.

That is until we get to lampang station.

We've stopped here and the reason is that

They have to add a second loco.

They need to double our pulling power

Because they're really going to need it.

The second loco brings our horse power to up to

A whopping forty eight hundred.

You can feel it!

We have to use all our experience,

Expertise and technique to get us through these mountains.

(Teddy) but the extra locomotive has it's draw backs.

The slope of this mountainside is so severe

And the trains so heavy that the rails and

Ground below constantly shift.

With each passing train the tracks start to slant

More and more downhill.

If it gets bad enough the train could tip off

The tracks and derail.

This part of the line has been plagued by accidents.

In 2013 after 23 derailments,

The government closed this section for 11 weeks

And completely overhauled the track.

And today, there's a convoy of specialized rail

Cars traveling ahead of us, making sure the tracks

Are still in good working order.

If we don't take good care of the tracks,

Especially for the curves, there's a good chance

The train might derail.

(Teddy) a tamping machine lifts the rails and sleepers

And corrects their alignment, while at the same time

Levelling the ballast underneath.

Additional crushed rock is then added to reinforce

Support for the track.

Once the crew confirms that the track is level,

They move the convoy down the rail line to the next section.

The track is now in good condition.

We have to move the machines out of the way

Now so the train to khun tan can pass.

(Teddy) regular maintenance helps to prevent derailments,

But adding new ballast can raise the height of the track

Turning a tunnel into a death trap.

Here we go!

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(Teddy) it's the final day of my train trip through thailand.

I'm headed to chiang mai on the northern line.

30 kilometers north of us a work crew are inspecting

A tunnel that runs right through the khun tan mountain range.

Today, we have an important mission,

Which is measuring the size of the tunnel.

(Teddy) this safety precaution must be done every time

Extra ballast has been added for support.

If the track has been raised too high,

The consequences could be deadly.

There's a chance that when the train goes through the tunnel,

It might hit the tunnel wall.

Or if a passenger sticks their head out the window

They might smash their head against the wall.

This tool is for measuring the tunnel's size.

We use a laser and we measure every 5 meters.

(Teddy) laser beams are shot from the track to measure the precise

Distance to the walls of the tunnel.

If the position of the tracks have shifted even a slight

Amount the track level will have to be corrected right away.

(Teddy) this critical work has to happen fast.

They have less than 15 minutes to stop any trains

In transit if there's a problem.

(Teddy) once the tunnel is deemed safe and the crew clears out.

(Teddy) our train is given to go ahead to pass through

(Teddy) we are approaching the khun tan tunnel.

You can see it right there.

At thirteen hundred and sixty-two meters,

It's the longest railway tunnel in all of thailand.

And it was built in 1907 so it's also one of the oldest.

And it took the longest to build.

Crews laboured for 11 years to get through

The solid granite.

The ashes of the german engineer who led

The project are interred above the tunnel entrance.

On the other side of the tunnel is khun tan station.

At 758 meters above sea level, it's the highest

Railway station in thailand.

Now that we've conquered our steepest climb,

We can disconnect the additional loco and prepare for our descent

Toward our final destination of chiang mai.

After we leave chaicharn I recommend you take photos of the white bridge

It's really beautiful.

(Teddy) the 100-year old tha chomphu bridge is known

Locally as 'the white bridge'.

Built during wartime when steel was

Hard to come by, concrete was used instead.

The brilliant white structure, measuring

Eighty seven point three meters long,

Has become an iconic landmark in the region.

It's beautiful, it's gorgeous.

And it's something you can't see flying from city to city.

(Teddy) taking the train,

I've been able to get a close up look at the countryside

I was getting whacked by the bushes.

Whoah! (chuckling)

Close call!

As I arrive in chiang mai, I gotta admit I'm blown away.

Not just by the beauty of this ancient walled city

But also the journey that brought me here.

Travelling through flooded fields and bustling

Bangkok markets I've able to soak up rich history and traditions.

Surrounded by majestic scenery at each and every stop

Along the way.

And through it all thailand's old workhorses

Never let me down.

Well, we've traversed the country

And what a thrilling way to see thailand.

This is a difficult place to operate a railway.

Lots of challenges.

But the trains here are so exciting and so full of life.

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