15 Most Dangerous Railway Bridges In The World

you want railway bridges to be safe they have to carry trains after all that's an awful lot of weight but scarily not all railway bridges look safe these are the most dangerous railway bridges in the world number 15 burma railway burma railway not a very scary name is it what about death railway now that sounds terrifying and probably quite fitting for one of the most dangerous railway bridges in the world the burma railway or death railway as it is also known is a 258 mile railway between thailand's ban pong and burma's tan busy yacht the bridge was built between 1940 and 1944 by the empire of japan the whole reasoning for the bridge was to supply weaponry and troops for the burma campaign during world war ii it also formed part of the rail link between bangkok and rangoon in burma while most of the burmese part of the railway is no longer used and has fallen into a state of disrepair much of this railway remains in use from bangkok to namta it doesn't look all that scary and death-like but it is significant up to a quarter of a million allied prisoners of war were used to build it and about 16 000 of them died a large number of southeast asian civilians also died during its construction the living and working conditions were nothing short of horrific like this video smash the subscribe button and click the notification bell right now or this centipede will crawl on your face when you're sleeping now it's time for the odd topic just look at this thing once upon a time this was a railway bridge but you see that pole all the way at the far right that was added to stop trains going along after the bridge proved to be too dangerous time and time again no train ever fell but several came dangerously close experts knew they just had to close this bridge before something serious happened it still stands to this day remaining unused comment down below with the hashtag oddtopic and let us know your opinion in relation to what we just showed on screen with that said let's keep things moving number 14 chennai ramaswaram route in india ramaswaram island is a stunning island off the southeast coast of india it offers visitors the chance to view some religious and architectural treasures and it's thought to be one of the holiest places in india hence why it's a popular vacation destination for people from all around the world but there's a catch it's only accessible by motorboat or ferry over rough seas in sometimes stormy conditions or by a terrifying looking rail bridge [Music] the rail bridge was built in 1914 and spanned 0.86 miles or 1.4 kilometers in length from the mainland to the island those who have traveled by both boat and train to get to this island struggle to say which is worse traveling on the bridge that looks fragile and wobbly or by a boat when storms are frequent still once you make the white knuckle journey to the island you'll be pleased that you did there's a lot to discover once you're there and there's plenty of time to mentally prepare yourself for the journey back to be honest though if you get seasick we don't advise visiting the island when a storm is brewing 13 the devil's nose in ecuador if a railway bridge has devil in it you just know it's going to be either dangerous or terrifying or both the devil's nose in ecuador is probably a bit of both of those things the devil's nose which translates from nuri's del diablo is a railway that forms part of the trans-andean railroad nestled between towering mountains in the late 19th century the very ambitious president el foy alfaro had the vision to connect ecuador to the coastal city of guayaquil by rail he brought in thousands of workers mostly foreign workers from jamaica and puerto rico to build it a task that would be challenging even today was absolutely massive all those years ago the tracks would have to be built through rocky ravines forests and around mountains it seemed so impossible that legend states el foy alfaro made a pact with the devil to finish it by the time it was finished around 4 000 workers had died from landslides disease and snake bites today the devil's nose is a 7.45 mile or 12 kilometer stretch of railway that sits elevated at around 2392 miles or 3850 meters above sea level it remains one of the most popular sections of ecuador's entire train track network number 12 train to the clouds in argentina are you ready to take one of the best train rides in the world well once we're done with all this covet 19 business we recommend the train to the clouds experience in argentina that's if dramatic scenery is your thing and of course it is this train to the clouds takes passengers from salta to the pulveria viaduct which is around 13 845 feet or 420 meters above sea level due to safety reasons part of the journey requires transport by bus but the entire experience is just absolutely mind-blowing you take a bus from salta station to campo quijano which is the gateway to the andes to us it looks like a scene from the wild wild west you then hop on a train bound for el alfarcito before making your way through san antonio de los cobrace the largest town in the region of puna then the train journey really begins in earnest thousands of people take this trip annually and you're so high up that the train has oxygen dispensers if you feel like you can't breathe while you're on the viaduct the train slows down so you can take in the views and the terrifying drop below number 11 georgetown loop railroad in colorado snaking through stunning mountain areas up to 639 feet or 195 meters above sea level is the georgetown loop railroad in colorado this railroad was constructed in the second half of the 19th century in clear creek county during the development of the silver mines the railroad was seen as the only way to get over the rocky mountains the narrow gauge railroad took those mine workers through some stunning scenery for years until the mine's development was complete then it was neglected and destroyed over time but the railroad had a lot of potential if not for work purposes than for tourists by 1973 many of the destroyed parts of the railroad were restored and the rails were fired back up for sightseeing trips there's just one part of the trip that might have you closing your eyes and that's the bridge called devil's gate this nearly 100 foot bridge requires the train to go very slow and seems to be under a lot of stress still once the 7.2 kilometer or 4.47 mile trip is over you'll realize that all that stunning scenery made it well worth it number 10 minami aso route in japan the reason why the minami aso route in japan is one of the most dangerous in the world is that it's no longer in action so if you try to take a train trip down it there's no guarantee you'll get to your destination this japanese railway line is between toto station and takamori station in the kumamoto prefecture after earthquakes hit the country in 2016 the entire takamori line shut down service was resumed between nakamatsu and takamori later in the year but the titano and nakamatsu section remains closed [Music] the costs of getting it back in order are in the billions of yen the line was opened in 1928 by the japanese government railways the takachiho line opened in 1972 and the section to takamori carried on for another three years however when the takamori tunnel flooded construction was abandoned in 1980. sadly out of 10 stations in the kumamoto prefecture at least five of them are non-operational due to the devastating 2016 earthquakes it's not known whether any or all will be brought back to life in the future number nine the karanda scenic railway in australia if you're not afraid of heights then taking a trip on the karanda scenic railway in australia may be worth your while while some people believe it's a little bit dangerous it's breathtaking beauty is hard to deny this railway cuts through the barren reserve known for its stunning rainforests and exotic plants there's also plenty of mountain scenery along the way at the point where the train passes over a bridge you can take in the stunning beauty of the cliff drop and a cascading waterfall on the opposite side this is certainly no boring train trip that's for sure the railway runs from cairns to karanda and used to be the only way to get from a to b now another railway runs from stratford which is longer but also safer those who prefer to take the karanda scenic railway must prepare for a two-hour journey even though it's just 23 miles or 37 kilometers in length i don't know about you but i'd prefer a more scenic route even if it did seem slightly dangerous imagine being able to take in the sights of rainforests and waterfalls on your way to the office number eight otaniqua choo choo steam trains are definitely few and far between these days but one of the last passenger steam trains in operation in africa was the otaniqua chuchu which ceased operations in 2010. the railway was finished in 1928 and linked the western cape south african towns of george and neisna [Music] they're out while only 42 miles or 67 kilometers took three hours because of the rugged coastline it would chug along the garden route which would include victoria bay wilderness gukama and sedgefield the final part of the journey was a precarious bridge over a lagoon in naisna by 1992 the railway was declared as officially preserved it carried around 40 000 passengers each year but just 10 years later that figure went up to 110 000 primarily made up of tourists even though the bridge and the railway were the major draw cards for this travel route the trains were pretty exciting as well they were sar class 19d steam locomotives diesel trains were used during summer when wildfire risks increased the train stopped operating in 2010 but it has still been seen as a heritage asset that could come back to life in the future number seven argo guide in indonesia not every train journey is going to be scenic but one that remains incredibly popular with locals and tourists alike is the route between bandung and jakarta on the indonesian train argo gheed this route takes travelers through serene mountain scenery and tea plantations not to mention quaint little villages and expansive rice fields it's easy to get lulled into a false sense of security by the beauty of the trip everything goes completely smoothly until you reach the intimidating sikaru-tug bridge this unfenced bridge shows off the massive drop below and surprisingly people understand what it feels like to drop off this bridge first hand designers say the bridge is safe but part of a train derailed on the bridge back in 2002 fortunately everyone survived but that doesn't make you feel any better as the train creeps over it especially as you get to watch the drop below ultimately though even with a small risk involved it's hard not to want to take this train journey when you get to experience such beautiful scenery would you go over this bridge number six white pass and yukon route in alaska attracting thrill seekers from around the world is the 108 mile railway system from whitehorse in canada to skagway in the united states while the beauty of the white pass and yukon route is hard to deny there is a bit of danger involved especially as you navigate your way through alaska the railway construction project finished up in 1889 and immediately it became a huge attraction in fact on the canadian side of the railway it's considered an engineering and construction attraction of massive importance the route runs through rough terrains cliffs reaching up to almost 9 900 feet and alongside plenty of gorges perhaps most terrifying to learn about the bridges on this route is that some of the supports are still made of wood there are also dark narrow tunnels and dramatic mountain scenery so close you can almost touch it the white pass and yukon route is certainly not for the faint of heart but as you get to see the beauty of bernard lake the quaint little shops in skagway and the striking steam locomotives it's probably a journey you're more than willing to take number five hombres and toltec scenic railroad in new mexico there are plenty of dangerous railroads in and around colorado but one of the more notable ones is the cumbres and toltec scenic railroad in new mexico it was built in 1880 and connected chama new mexico and antonio colorado you might think it's quite a straightforward trip but that couldn't be further from the truth those who take the train trip have to cross the tultec gorge bridge which shows quite a scary drop the journey then continues around 1.86 miles along the cumbres mountain pass probably not surprising to those on this train trip very few railroads rise this high in the mountains so prepare for some pretty crazy altitude changes even though this railway was built so long ago it's still in operation today it operates from may to october with two trains one going in each direction they meet up at oger colorado at lunchtime where lunch is served in a modern dining hall you can then switch trains and head back to where you came from or continue in the same direction to view new scenery number four pilatus railway in switzerland the pilatus railway in switzerland is probably like none other you've ever seen before as half the train dangles over the edge of a cliff surprisingly though as hazardous as this railway seems it has never been the scene of any accidents in 1868 queen victoria climbed on pilatus peak and it immediately became an attraction from that point on the local government realizing they needed local transportation came up with the idea of a railway engineer roger came up with a concept but everyone said it was too dangerous however roger was a clever man he developed a parallel double gear structure that allowed the train gear to be installed on a vertical axis this meant it would touch the sides of the rail rather than the top this design may have contributed to the zero cases of derailment you probably still don't believe us because it's genuinely a treacherous looking track it begins near lake lucerne and travels for around half an hour up about 6800 feet to the pilatu station at an altitude of 2132 feet the maximum gradient is 48 degrees and it takes approximately 30 minutes to climb the mountain and 40 minutes to get down it number three the mekong railway in thailand imagine being a vendor at a local market then having to quickly move all your produce out of the way so that you don't get hit by a train sounds like a nightmare right it's the reality for those working around the mekong railway in thailand six times a day yes six a train speeds through the mekong railway market into the path of innocent vendors and buyers going about their day as soon as the train makes a whistling sound everyone scrambles to move their produce umbrellas and awnings from the tracks if they haven't done that in three minutes well you can imagine what might happen and unfortunately it has people have lost their lives in this market by not moving out of the way even though the train does slow down as it heads through the market many market stall holders know how much clearance the train has and leave their produce on the tracks knowing it'll just go over it and leave it intact you can pick up all manner of delicious unsquished goods at this market such as thai sweets herbs and spices drinks seafood vegetables and fruits number two linton and lindmouth cliff railway in the uk if you haven't had a chance to go on a roller coaster lately then don't worry instead you can take a trip through the linton and lindmouth cliff railway in the united kingdom and experience a pretty similar feeling this railway takes you through high cliffs that separate the two towns it was built in the late 19th century and even though it was quite complicated it was finished in under three years to be honest that doesn't give us much confidence still the railway network is up and running to this day so they must have nailed it two cars make their way up and down the steep gradient taking 80 passengers at a time because of how steep it is the train moves a lot slower than your average roller coaster so there's no need to scream or vomit what's more you're treated to some stunning scenery and a mountainous backdrop along the way so basically this railway may seem like one of the most dangerous in the world but it's probably not as bad as it looks have you been on it number one dude soccer waterfall you might be wondering why we're mentioning a waterfall when talking about railways and railway bridges the link isn't immediately obvious but it's about to be the dude sagger falls is a waterfall on the mandovi river in goa with four tiers it's around 37 miles from panachi and is positioned on the guntuko vascodagama railroad see the link it's one of india's tallest waterfalls at over 1 000 feet and spans around 100 feet wide now this is quite a unique and popular attraction as you can imagine but the only way to get to it is by train you catch a train from castle rock in uttara kanata then disembark at the dude sagar rail stop if you're expecting a beautiful and safe platform from which to view the waterfall then well you'd be wrong instead there's a steep ladder and a walk of around half a mile to get to the falls there's also a long 656-foot completely pitch-black tunnel to walk through because it is so dangerous indian railways has now banned people from getting off there instead you have to take a taxi from molem a go on village pitch black tunnel to walk through because it is so dangerous indian railways has now banned people from getting off there instead you have to take a taxi from molem a go on village some of those bridges sound downright terrifying imagine fearing for your life while just going for a leisurely train journey which one scared you the most and have you ever been on any of these railway bridges also check out our other cool stuff showing up on screen right now see you next time

Channel: Factsopedia

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Keywords: dangerous, rail, railway, tracks, subway, facts, world, hindi, most dangerous rail tracks, dangerous rail tracks, dangerous train in the world, dangerous train, pamban bridge, most, bridges, trainroutes, india, longest, railroutes, worlds most extreme railways, amazing train routes, highest railway, railways, indian railways, train, railroads, journey, indian, trains, bangladesh railway, alaska, incredible, burma railway, routes, railroad

Id: oLuQ76pZgGg

Length: 22min 22sec (1342 seconds)

Published: Wed May 12 2021