Khuntan Railway Tunnel, Lampang Province, Thailand
4.5 (5 reviews) Spent Ranking #3 in Mae Tha District Bridges
Tunnel
The railway route Bangkok–Chiang Mai had been designed to avoid the Khun Tan Mountains, a barrier between Lampang and Lamphun. The tunnel was built ease trade barriers between the northern and central provinces.
Address
Doi Khun Tan National Park, Thailand.
Website
http://www.trekthailand.net/north6/index.html
Current local date and time now
Wednesday, May 15, 2024, 17:36
User Ratings
4.5 based on (5 reviews)
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4Tinamue 5:00 PM Mar 13, 2015
Very Picturesque
The Doi Khuntan National Park straddles a mountain range separating the provinces of Lampang and Lamphun. The park has an 8 km trail leading to the top (1,373 meters above sea level), but the trail's starting point, at the Khuntan railway station, is where the park's most famous attraction is. It is Thailand's longest railway tunnel. The tunnel is 1,352 meters blasted through granite and it was a very costly project in terms of human sacrifice. It is said that 1,000 construction workers had died by the time the tunnel was opened for service. The construction started in 1907 and was completed in 1918 and workers lost their lives due to work-related accidents, malaria, and tigers. The project started under the supervision of German Emile Eisenhofer (his ashes are at a shrine at the tunnel entrance dedicated to all those that died during the construction), and was completed by Krommaphra Kamphaengphet, a Thai engineer. Today, the tunnel entrance and the quaint station building are very popular as backdrops for selfies.
