Gyeongwon Line
Encyclopedia
The Gyeongwon Line is a railway line serving northeastern Gyeonggi Province in South Korea
. The line is operated by Korail
. The name of the line came from Gyeongseong (Seoul
) and Wonsan
, the original terminus of the line in what is now North Korea
.
in Seoul and Wonsan on August 16, 1914. The division of Korea
cut the line in half in 1945. The South Korean part of the line is 88.8 km (55.2 mi) long between Yongsan and Sintan-ri
.
Following the 1961 coup, the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction
started South Korea's first five-year plan, which included a construction program to complete the railway network, to foster economic growth. As part of the program, in the outskirts of Seoul, a 4.9 km (3 mi) long avoiding line was built from Seongbuk
to Mangu
on the Jungang Line
, called the Mangu Line, which opened on December 30, 1963.
catenary system in South Korea when it was integrated into Seoul Subway Line 1
. Further sections were electrified and subway service was extended in the 1980s and then in the 2000s:
Altogether 55.6 km (34.5 mi) of the line was electrified, and 53.1 km (33 mi) was double-tracked.
On September 1, 2010, the South Korean government announced a strategic plan to reduce travel times from Seoul to 95% of the country to under 2 hours by 2020. As part of the plan, the Gyeongwon Line is to be further upgraded until Uijeongbu for 230 km/h and may see KTX
service.
n section, between Pyonggang and Wonsan
has been extended northwards to Kowon
and now forms the Kangwon Line
.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. The line is operated by Korail
Korail
Korea Railroad Corporation , promoted as Korail , is the national railroad operator in South Korea.Korail operates passenger and freight trains throughout South Korea...
. The name of the line came from Gyeongseong (Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
) and Wonsan
Wonsan
Wŏnsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern North Korea. It is the capital of Kangwŏn Province. The population of the city is estimated to have been 331,000 in 2000. Notable people from Wŏnsan include Kim Ki Nam, diplomat and Secretary of the Workers' Party.- History :The original name of...
, the original terminus of the line in what is now North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
.
History
The Gyeongwon line was opened along its full length between Yongsan StationYongsan Station
Yongsan Station is a major railway station in Seoul, South Korea. It is located in Yongsan Gu, and adjoins the Yongsan Electronics Market. The station is the terminus for high-speed and long-distance trains on a number of railway lines, including most trains on the Honam Line, its high-speed...
in Seoul and Wonsan on August 16, 1914. The division of Korea
Division of Korea
The division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea stems from the 1945 Allied victory in World War II, ending Japan's 35-year colonial rule of Korea. In a proposal opposed by nearly all Koreans, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to temporarily occupy the country as a trusteeship...
cut the line in half in 1945. The South Korean part of the line is 88.8 km (55.2 mi) long between Yongsan and Sintan-ri
Sintan-ri Station
Sintan-ri Station is a railway station on Gyeongwon Line in South Korea....
.
Following the 1961 coup, the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction
Supreme Council for National Reconstruction
The Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, initially named the Revolutionary Committee, was a military junta that oversaw the government of South Korea from May 16, 1961 until the inauguration of the Third Republic of South Korea in 1963...
started South Korea's first five-year plan, which included a construction program to complete the railway network, to foster economic growth. As part of the program, in the outskirts of Seoul, a 4.9 km (3 mi) long avoiding line was built from Seongbuk
Seongbuk Station
Seongbuk Station is a train station on the Gyeongwon Line in Seoul, South Korea operated by Korail. It is served by Line 1 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway system, being one of the original termini of Line 1 along with Incheon Station and Suwon Station when Line 1 opened in 1974. Seongbuk Depot,...
to Mangu
Mangu Station
Mangu Station is a station on the Jungang Line, and Gyeongchun Line since 21 December 2010. This station is probably most famous for being Seoul's main distribution center of charcoal briquettes in the 1950s and 1960s, extracted and manufactured in southern Gangwon province...
on the Jungang Line
Jungang Line
The Jungang Line is a railway line connecting Cheongnyangni in Seoul to Gyeongju in South Korea, traversing central South Korea from the northwest to the southeast.-History:...
, called the Mangu Line, which opened on December 30, 1963.
Upgrade
The section of the Gyeongwon Line in the Seoul metropolitan area was among the first to be electrified with the 25 kV/60 Hz ACAlternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
catenary system in South Korea when it was integrated into Seoul Subway Line 1
Seoul Subway Line 1
Seoul Subway Line 1 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway, formerly known as the Korea National Railroad of Seoul, is an operation channel which links central Seoul, South Korea to Soyosan Station in the northeast, Incheon in the southwest, and Asan via Suwon in the south. This line covers a large part...
. Further sections were electrified and subway service was extended in the 1980s and then in the 2000s:
| Section | Length | Start of electric operation |
|---|---|---|
| Yongsan Yongsan Station Yongsan Station is a major railway station in Seoul, South Korea. It is located in Yongsan Gu, and adjoins the Yongsan Electronics Market. The station is the terminus for high-speed and long-distance trains on a number of railway lines, including most trains on the Honam Line, its high-speed... –Cheongnyangni |
12.6 km | December 9, 1978 |
| Cheongnyangni–Seongbuk Seongbuk Station Seongbuk Station is a train station on the Gyeongwon Line in Seoul, South Korea operated by Korail. It is served by Line 1 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway system, being one of the original termini of Line 1 along with Incheon Station and Suwon Station when Line 1 opened in 1974. Seongbuk Depot,... |
5.6 km | August 15, 1974 |
| Seongbuk–Chang-dong Chang-dong Station Chang-dong Station is a station on Seoul Subway Line 1 and Line 4.It is located in Chang-dong, Dobong-gu, Seoul.A shopping center was planned for this site, but the empty lot has never been developed... |
3.6 km | April 25, 1985 |
| Chang-dong–Uijeongbu Uijeongbu Station Uijeongbu Station is a station on the Gyeongwon Line in South Korea. It is also served by trains on Seoul Subway Line 1. It is the main station in the city of Uijeongbu... |
9.4 km | September 2, 1986 |
| Uijeongbu–Ganeung Ganeung Station Ganeung Station is a metro station on the Seoul Subway Line 1, located in northern Uijeongbu, South Korea. This station was formerly known as Uijeongbu Bukbu Station and was also the northern terminus for Seoul Subway Line 1 until the line was extended to Soyosan.-Platforms:* Platform 1: to... then Uijeongbu Bukbu |
1.2 km | October 5, 1987 |
| Ganeung–Soyosan Soyosan Station Soyosan Station is a ground-level metro station on Line 1 of the Seoul Subway in Sangbongam Dong, Dongducheon, South Korea. It is named after the nearby Soyosan , a mountain beside the U.S. Army base Camp Casey... |
23.2 km | December 15, 2006 |
Altogether 55.6 km (34.5 mi) of the line was electrified, and 53.1 km (33 mi) was double-tracked.
On September 1, 2010, the South Korean government announced a strategic plan to reduce travel times from Seoul to 95% of the country to under 2 hours by 2020. As part of the plan, the Gyeongwon Line is to be further upgraded until Uijeongbu for 230 km/h and may see KTX
Korea Train Express
Korea Train eXpress is South Korea's high-speed rail system, operated by Korail. Construction began on the first section of the high-speed line from Seoul to Busan in 1992. The project was later split into two phases and combined with conventional line upgrades, adding a second route from Seoul to...
service.
Major stations
- YongsanYongsan StationYongsan Station is a major railway station in Seoul, South Korea. It is located in Yongsan Gu, and adjoins the Yongsan Electronics Market. The station is the terminus for high-speed and long-distance trains on a number of railway lines, including most trains on the Honam Line, its high-speed...
the line's southern terminus south of downtown SeoulSeoulSeoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, where there is a junction with the Gyeongbu LineGyeongbu LineThe Gyeongbu Line is the most important railway line in South Korea and one of the oldest. It was constructed by Japan in 1905, connecting Seoul to Suwon, Daejeon, Daegu, and Busan. The Gyeongbu Line is by far the most heavily travelled rail line in South Korea...
; - CheongnyangniCheongnyangni StationCheongnyangni Station is the Seoul terminus for passenger trains serving the eastern part of South Korea. The station is located just east of downtown Seoul, on the Gyeongwon Line....
in eastern Seoul, terminus of the Jungang LineJungang LineThe Jungang Line is a railway line connecting Cheongnyangni in Seoul to Gyeongju in South Korea, traversing central South Korea from the northwest to the southeast.-History:...
; - SeongbukSeongbuk StationSeongbuk Station is a train station on the Gyeongwon Line in Seoul, South Korea operated by Korail. It is served by Line 1 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway system, being one of the original termini of Line 1 along with Incheon Station and Suwon Station when Line 1 opened in 1974. Seongbuk Depot,...
in eastern Seoul, terminus of the Gyeongchun LineGyeongchun LineThe Gyeongchun Line is a railway line connecting Seoul to Chuncheon in South Korea. The line is operated by Korail. The name of the line came from Gyeongseong and Chuncheon. The line was reconstructed in a new alignment in its entirety in the 2000s...
until December 2010; - UijeongbuUijeongbu StationUijeongbu Station is a station on the Gyeongwon Line in South Korea. It is also served by trains on Seoul Subway Line 1. It is the main station in the city of Uijeongbu...
, terminus of the Gyowae LineGyowae LineThe Gyowae Line is a railway line in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, that connects Neunggok Station in Goyang City with Uijeongbu Station in Uijeongbu, north of Seoul.-History :Work on the line began already in October 1959...
; and - Sintan-riSintan-ri StationSintan-ri Station is a railway station on Gyeongwon Line in South Korea....
, the line's northern terminus and the northernmost railhead in South Korea.
North Korean section
The North KoreaNorth Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n section, between Pyonggang and Wonsan
Wonsan Station
Wonsan Station is a passenger railway station located in Wonsan, North Korea. It is on Kangwon Line, formed from parts of the Gyeongwon Line which once connected Wonsan to Seoul but which is now divided by the Korean Demilitarized Zone.-First station:...
has been extended northwards to Kowon
Kowon Station
Kowon Station is the central railway station for Kowon County, North Korea. It is the junction where the Pyongra Line, which connects Pyongyang to Rason, meets the Kangwon Line, which runs from Kowon to Pyonggang.-History:...
and now forms the Kangwon Line
Kangwon Line
The Kangwon Line is a railway line in North Korea, running from Pyonggang to Kowon....
.