The Burma Railway, also known as the "Death Railway," the "Thailand–Burma Railway" and similar names, was a 415-kilometer (258-mile) railway between Ban Pong, Thailand, and Thanbyuzayat, Burma (now known as Myanmar), built by the Empire of Japan during World War II to support its forces in the Burma campaign.

Construction began in June 1942 and was completed in October 1943. The Japanese used forced labor to build the railway, employing Asian laborers and Allied prisoners of war (POWs) in harsh and inhumane conditions. The laborers had to deal with difficult terrain, malnutrition, disease, and brutal treatment by Japanese overseers. It is estimated that over 180,000 Asian civilian laborers (referred to as romusha) and over 60,000 Allied POWs worked on the railway, and the death toll was incredibly high due to these terrible conditions. It is believed that one death occurred for every wooden sleeper laid on the route, prompting the nickname "Death Railway."

The main purpose of the railway was to convey cargo daily to India, to back up an attack on India and to transport troops and supplies to the Burmese front. After the completion of the railway, it did transport POWs and romusha to Burma and Thailand.

Many of the scenes of brutality and hardship from the railway's construction were depicted in the famous novel and film "The Bridge on the River Kwai," which significantly raised awareness of the railway and the conditions surrounding its construction, even though the film took liberties with historical accuracy.

After World War II, much of the railway was dismantled and parts of it fell into disrepair. The remaining operational sections of the line are still in use today as local commuter lines in Thailand. Commemorative sites and cemeteries now stand as memorials for those who died working on the railway.