Songkhla Railway Station

[rajyindee]

I read elsewhere that it's being refurbished ... anyone any idea of its exact location?

[ClutchClark]

Follow the tracks ;-)

http://2bangkok.com/2bangkok-srt-songkhlastation.html

[rajyindee]

Follow the tracks ;-)

http://2bangkok.com/2bangkok-srt-songkhlastation.html

Thanks for that.

[daveAustin]

Haven't noticed it being refurbished. It's a dilapidated mess along with the rest of that area (the market and environs is bordering on third world, like you'd see in parts of Africa). In fact, aside from the main drag in the Chinatown area, much of 'old' Songkhla is really ugly. Hardly any upkeep going on anywhere. A shame it being left behind because it could be very pretty.

[phuketsub]

Any change to that area would be for the positive. Nice pix.

[phuketsub]

I searched for info about it and came across a few Facebook postings saying that the land has been acquired by Songkhla Municipality, which hopes to restore it and develop it into a tourism attraction and learning center. The TAT and Provincial Tourism and Sports Office are involved.

However, there is no info about this on the tessaban website...

[rajyindee]

I searched for info about it and came across a few Facebook postings saying that the land has been acquired by Songkhla Municipality, which hopes to restore it and develop it into a tourism attraction and learning center. The TAT and Provincial Tourism and Sports Office are involved.

However, there is no info about this on the tessaban website...

Thanks. I wish them the best of luck. I took a drive around Nang Ngam last week and there were a lot of improvements (I think) from what I can remember from my last visit to that part of town a couple of years ago.

[sub101uk]

Well from my apartment here I can see the old railway station it looks as if they are going to rebuild the place from looking at these drawing of the attached pictures .

Which brings me to the next question is " Why " are they going to re install the rail link as most of the route has been built on any thoughts ?

Sub101uk

[Stocky]

...most of the route has been built on...

That was my thought, just try following the old line on Google Earth, no ways.

[sub101uk]

Yes I have no idea why there going to re build the place since I dont think the trains will ever run again .Like you I did trace the route and you can see allot of the track going to railway jetty next to Lake Inn as far as I can see it crossed the main road in town twice after that it just seems to following the old road to Hat Yai .

So I have no idea why there going to rebuild the place but I would love to see old pictures of the stream trains and how it was , On the net some other farang did mark out the route and he also took some pictures .But seems that it stopped running in 1978

http://www.oocities.org/songkhla.geo/SONGKHLA.html

[phuketsub]

Yes I have no idea why there going to re build the place since I dont think the trains will ever run again .Like you I did trace the route and you can see allot of the track going to railway jetty next to Lake Inn as far as I can see it crossed the main road in town twice after that it just seems to following the old road to Hat Yai .

So I have no idea why there going to rebuild the place but I would love to see old pictures of the stream trains and how it was , On the net some other farang did mark out the route and he also took some pictures .But seems that it stopped running in 1978

http://www.oocities.org/songkhla.geo/SONGKHLA.html

Thanks for posting that link; very interesting.

[sub101uk]

Yes the good old days but with no Train what is the point of re building the station ? If that did happen some time in the future they would have to re route the line in fact it could not be were it is now because Lee Supermarket would be cut in half because its only about 500 feet from the station so I have no idea .Just had a thought maybe they could lay some track and have some old railways carriages that could be converted into a restaurant .

[phuketsub]

I couldn't foresee any scenario under which it would be rebuilt with the intention of serving as a real railway station, but as I said before any work in that area can only be an improvement..

After talking to the author of that blog, I want to find the old Ban Nam Noi Station and see what has become of it.

[sub101uk]

Yes looking at the site its non runner to be used as a railway station , In fact looking at route even in Songkhla most of the route has been built over but there are some parts left the old ticket off and railway sheds are still there this is just off Thaleluang Road in fact the ticket office is still open and sells tickets most of the track around Lake Inn and Green World Hotel is still there but most of the route has been built on .

Like you I also contacted the author of that blog to help me trace the old route but you can following it on Google earth as for the station that your trying to find sorry I cant help you on that one , Did you ask Phil Abbey the auther as he sent me many links when I was asking him about the route.

But if its any were near the old road I think its been built on with houses or factorys .

[phuketsub]

Yes looking at the site its non runner to be used as a railway station , In fact looking at route even in Songkhla most of the route has been built over but there are some parts left the old ticket off and railway sheds are still there this is just off Thaleluang Road in fact the ticket office is still open and sells tickets most of the track around Lake Inn and Green World Hotel is still there but most of the route has been built on .

Like you I also contacted the author of that blog to help me trace the old route but you can following it on Google earth as for the station that your trying to find sorry I cant help you on that one , Did you ask Phil Abbey the auther as he sent me many links when I was asking him about the route.

But if its any were near the old road I think its been built on with houses or factorys .

Next time I am in that area I will just ask the old timers at/around the OrBorTor office at Nam Noi...I do think it must have been near the old road because its relatively flat there compared to the surrounding terrain....

[sub101uk]

Ok I did ask a family who live in that area and the location of the station , As your driving down the old road as you know as you look to your left your see bits of track then your come across the lattice bridge , The Station your looking for I understand is between the bridge and these long factory type buildings . So find yourself a route to get on the bridge and head towards songkhla or If your Driving down the old road from Songkhla you can pick up the tracks from the factory side and walk towards the bridge .

[sub101uk]

Ok searching around on yahoo it would seem we are not alone in tracing the old rail link , Try these URLs

This first one has many pictures from Songkhla all the way into Hat Yai :-

http://portal.rotfaithai.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=5178&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

or

http://2bangkok.com/2bangkok-srt-songkhlaline.html

The first URL I found very good with many pictures I had not seen before .

Enjoy !

[rajyindee]

Thanks for all the extra info and links, guys.

[phuketsub]

I finally found the old Ban Nam Noi Station.

It has been transformed into (what else?) a Thai restaurant called Krua Bandai Nang (literally, 'Kitchen of Mrs Ladder') .

Pix attached.

Not sure how many of the original structures remain, but it is clear where the former platform area is now being used as a sort of terrace dining area.

The staff were pretty surprised to have a farang come in asking about it.

[sub101uk]

Glad to hear you found Ban Nam Noi Station I wonder what the location was ? As for Songkhla Railway Station there still do re building work I still there they be be better off putting a few railway carriages down the side of the platform and making into a restaurant .

As for old rail route of the old rail link I think these guys did a good survey from Hat Yai - Songkhla :-

http://portal.rotfaithai.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=5178&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Once they finish Songkhla railway station I will post them on here .

[Seastallion]

I'm very surprised that after all these years nobody has taken the rails....for scrap or to utilise in building or whatever.

There's a LOT of scrap weight in all that iron

[phuketsub]

That surprises me, but even more surprising -- in a positive way for a change -- is that thieves haven't begun stealing the solar panels powering warning lights at many junctions on the island, some of them in very remote locations.

[Seastallion]

That surprises me, but even more surprising -- in a positive way for a change -- is that thieves haven't begun stealing the solar panels powering warning lights at many junctions on the island, some of them in very remote locations.

Perhaps a bit too technologically complicated for your average thief, plus conceiving their worth.

[recom273]

It's amazing there are still bits of track left lying around.ETS: as everything seem so easy to sell and recycle.

I know of one embankment, on the road to klong hae floating market, strange why no one has bulldozed it, people seem to struggle climbing up and over the little hill there.

[Seastallion]

That's one of the bits of track I was thinking about. On the right hand side of the road (heading towards klong hae), someone's built a house over the track....I was wondering if they are revitalising the HDY-SNKH section of rail, whether it will follow the old route.....that house (amongst others, I guess) will suffer.....I'm assuming that is the old route?

[recom273]

I'm very surprised that after all these years nobody has taken the rails....for scrap or to utilise in building or whatever.

There's a LOT of scrap weight in all that iron

Oww .. Great minds think alike.

The track must come upto the junction somewhere around SCG home mart, so cuts through a lot of houses and also I can remember seeing track in another area somewhere across the road there, near the small mosque, again all built up.

On another note, a few years back there was a local councilor who's manifest was to link up some villages towards Sadao to HY and out towards Songkhla with an electric train service. lol.

[recom273]

That surprises me, but even more surprising -- in a positive way for a change -- is that thieves haven't begun stealing the solar panels powering warning lights at many junctions on the island, some of them in very remote locations.

It's actually surprising a lot of copper cable doesn't go missing, it was a big problem in the UK underground a few years back. They were even cutting fiber optical cable which is worthless.

I think it's easier to steal a Honda wave to get a few baht.

[rajyindee]

On another note, a few years back there was a local councilor who's manifest was to link up some villages towards Sadao to HY and out towards Songkhla with an electric train service. lol.

There was a large meeting in Hat Yai a couple of weeks ago about the proposed monorail system.

Hatyai monorail

[sub101uk]

Well I did see something on the web about a year ago showing the new train link for the future from Hat Yai to Songkhla , I will see if I can find the URL so you can see what I mean .As for route well as we have all said most of the old route has been built on if you go on google earth you can see the old route , I live across the road from Songkhla railway station and there is no way that the old station can be used without cutting through Lee Supermarket .

The link closed in 1978 since then there has been lots of rebuilding all over the old rail link route so if they did plan a new link they would have to re route it .But dont forget this is Thailand so any thing is possible .As for the old bits of track and bridges thats left its best see from these old sites . http://2bangkok.com/2bangkok-srt-songkhlaline.html http://portal.rotfaithai.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=5178&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

As for the old Songkhla railway station there still working on the building once its finished I will put up some pictures .

[recom273]

On another note, a few years back there was a local councilor who's manifest was to link up some villages towards Sadao to HY and out towards Songkhla with an electric train service. lol.

There was a large meeting in Hat Yai a couple of weeks ago about the proposed monorail system.

Hatyai monorail

Yeah! That's it .. Thanks

Coming from ban pru to klong hae, I thought it was further to songkhla but I see now it's expanded in other directions.

It's good the website recognizes the congestion that the songthaews cause, it was a joke by gim yong today, with all three lanes clogged backed up to the roundabout by the pickups and a totally clear thereafter.