Northern Line (Thailand)
The Northern Line is a railway line in Thailand. The line heads north terminating at the northern port of Chiang Mai. The line is between Bangkok railway station and Chiang Mai railway station. It is the second longest railway line in Thailand. The line first opened in 1896. Major cities served by the line include Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Nakhon Sawan, Phitsanulok, Lampang, and Chiang Mai. The line was severely affected by World War II. Services. Services on the Northern Line are mainly intercity trains operated by State Railway of Thailand, connecting major cities. More than a dozen trains  run on the line in each direction each day. Infrastructure. The Northern Line is entirely single track, except at stations. Track gauge is meter gauge. As train frequency increases, it is becoming increasingly challenging to operate trains running both direction on the single-line track. Double-tracking has commenced between Lop Buri and Pak Nam Pho, and is planned for the rest of the line. The Northern Line is not electrified. Regular services run on diesel power. Current operating speed on the line is . Stations. There are 130 railway stations and halts in operation on the Northern Line, some serve  major cities and some serve local villages in distant locations where road access is limited. Some station buildings date back over a hundred years, such as Khlong Maphlap Station on the Sawankhalok Branch Line. Some station were rebuilt from wooden structures to modern Thai styled buildings such as Nakhon Sawan Station. The other category of buildings is the small, ornate style of wood-built stations such as Mae Tha Station.