The line was constructed by the Paknam Railway Company established by a British navigator Alfred John Loftus and the Danish naval commander Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu[1]: 33 .

The opening of the railway on 11 April 1893 was attended by King Rama V who had in fact invested half of the 400,000 Baht funding required for construction of the line[1]: 35 .

[4] Initially, there were four steam locomotives constructed by Krauss & Co. of Munich,[5] and four trains ran in each direction daily.

During World War II the railway enjoyed a resurgence due to the impact of fuel shortages on the bus companies.

After the end of World War II, competition with buses and private cars again increased and by the 1950s the railway was operating at a loss.