103rd Anniversary of Hua Lamphong

Google Dooles 24.06.2019 20:01  Date: June 25, 2019 It’s been exactly 103 years since Bangkok Railway Station, unofficially known as Hua Lamphong, first opened its doors to passengers. Although the Bang Sue mega station will eventually become the capital's main rail transport hub, Hua Lamphong holds the title as Bangkok’s oldest train station—whose ornate neoclassical design, featuring a vaulted iron roof with stained glass windows, evokes a time when trains were the ultimate mode of transportation. During his 1907 tour of Europe, King Rama V was so impressed by the Frankfurt Train Station that he commissioned a similar building for his own country. The Italian architects Mario Tamagno and Annibale Rigotti echoed certain details of the German station in their design, from the half dome façade, to the open-air passenger galleries, to the giant clock on the front gable. For more than a century, Hua Lamphong has been the entry point to Bangkok for millions of visitors. The station connects with the MRT underground system, and you can also catch both rural commuter lines and the luxurious Orient Express from here. The State Railway of Thailand accommodates some 200 trains a day, with over 27,000 passengers, and will eventually also be a railway history museum. Happy Anniversary, Hua Lamphong! Early concepts by artist Alyssa Winans Location: Tags: , , , , ,