Jeolla Line
Encyclopedia
The Jeolla Line is a railway line in North and South Jeolla Provinces in South Korea
. The line is served by frequent passenger trains from Seoul
(via the Gyeongbu
and Honam Line
s) to Yeosu
. This line is planned to have KTX service by April 2011.
–Namwon
section was completed in October 1931, the Namwon–Gokseong section followed in October 1933, finally the Gokseong–Suncheon section on December 16, 1936. The Suncheon–Yeosu section, which was completed on December 25, 1930, as part of the Gwangyu Line from Songjeong-ri to Yeosu, was integrated with the line from Jeonju under the new name Jeolla Line. The line was completed with the reconstruction of the Iri (today Iksan) to Jeonju section in March 1937.
From 1989, the first phase of the project to re-lay and double-track the line, mostly in a new alignment with wider curves, longer tunnels and bridges, was launched on three sections between Sin-ri, at the end of the Jeonju realignment, and Suncheon. The two longest new structures were the 5671 m (18,606 ft) long Byeongpung Tunnel, north of Suncheon, and the 6128 m (20,105 ft) long Seulchi Tunnel, south of Jeonju, which became South Korea's longest rail tunnel, surpassing Jeongam Tunnel on the Taebaek Line
. The three sections of the first phase with altogether 64.3 km, shortening the original route by 16.7 km, were finished by 1999 and entered service on May 18, 1999. The two gaps between those sections were plugged in a second phase in 2002 and August 2004, the altogether 58.3 km long new sections shortened the line by another 11.4 km.
The third phase of the upgrading project, started in 2002, involved the double-tracking of the remaining 35.2 km long single-track section from Iksan to Sin-ri, until the end of the Jeonju realignment, and electrification of the entire double-tracked and re-aligned section from Iksan to Suncheon, altogether 154.2 km, to allow speeds of 180 km/h. By March 2010, progress on the 154.2 km section from Iksan to Suncheon reached 63.0%. This phase of the project is implemented as a public private partnership of the Build-Transfer-Lease (BTL) method, with a government contribution of 510.852 billion won and a BTL share of 470.699 billion won. The upgrade and re-alignment of the final Suncheon-Yeosu section was launched as a separate project in 2001, with work starting in December 2003. As of March 2010, progress on the 40.0 km long alignment stood at 88.0% out of a total budget of 732.002 billion won. The entire upgrading project is to be completed in 2011.
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 Jeolla Line is to be further upgraded for 230 km/h.
trains. As of October 2010, the travel time on Saemaul from Yongsan Station
in Seoul is a minimum 3 hours 28 minutes to Jeonju, 4 hours 33 minutes to Suncheon and 5 hours 15 minutes to Yeosu, with 2 hours 30 minutes taken for the Iksan--Jeosu travel along the Jeolla Line itself. Mugunghwa trains that also start in Yongsan cover the line from Iksan to Yeosu in between a minimum of 2 hours 30 minutes and a maximum of 4 hours, depending on the number of stops.
, and Korail timed the introduction of Korea Train Express
services on the line ahead of the event. Original plans foresaw a the start of Jeolla KTX services in April 2011, reducing the Seoul–Yeosu travel time to 2 hours 55 minutes, using KTX-II
(KTX-Sancheon) high-speed trains. In February 2011, when the necessary electrification works were 96% complete, the start of services was postponed to September 2011, and the Yongsan–Yeosu travel time was planned to be 3 hours 7 minutes. After the completion of the first stage of the Honam High Speed Railway, the travel time is planned to reduce to 2 hours 25 minutes.
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 served by frequent passenger trains from 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...
(via the Gyeongbu
Gyeongbu Line
The 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...
and Honam Line
Honam Line
The Honam Line is a major railway line serving the Honam region in South Korea. The line is served by frequent passenger trains from Seoul to Gwangju and Mokpo.-History:...
s) to Yeosu
Yeosu
Yeosu is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Old Yeosu City, which was founded in 1949, Yeocheon City, founded in 1986, and Yeocheon County were merged into a new city in 1998....
. This line is planned to have KTX service by April 2011.
History
The first railway along a section of what became the Jeolla Line was the Chonbuk Line, a private narrow-gauge railway centered on Jeonju, which was opened on November 12, 1917. In 1927, the line was nationalised. Work on a normal-gauge replacement line started on April 18, 1929. The JeonjuJeonju
Jeonju is a city in South Korea, and the capital of Jeollabuk-do, or North Jeolla Province. It is an important tourist center famous for Korean food, historic buildings, sports activities and innovative festivals.- History :...
–Namwon
Namwon
Namwon is a city in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. Namwon is about 45 minutes from the provincial capital of Jeonju, which is three hours away from Seoul....
section was completed in October 1931, the Namwon–Gokseong section followed in October 1933, finally the Gokseong–Suncheon section on December 16, 1936. The Suncheon–Yeosu section, which was completed on December 25, 1930, as part of the Gwangyu Line from Songjeong-ri to Yeosu, was integrated with the line from Jeonju under the new name Jeolla Line. The line was completed with the reconstruction of the Iri (today Iksan) to Jeonju section in March 1937.
Upgrade
The upgrade of the Iksan-Suncheon section started with the construction of a bypass around Jeonju with wider curves, opened in 1981.From 1989, the first phase of the project to re-lay and double-track the line, mostly in a new alignment with wider curves, longer tunnels and bridges, was launched on three sections between Sin-ri, at the end of the Jeonju realignment, and Suncheon. The two longest new structures were the 5671 m (18,606 ft) long Byeongpung Tunnel, north of Suncheon, and the 6128 m (20,105 ft) long Seulchi Tunnel, south of Jeonju, which became South Korea's longest rail tunnel, surpassing Jeongam Tunnel on the Taebaek Line
Taebaek Line
Taebaek Line is a single-track electrified railway mainline connecting Jecheon Station to Baeksan Station in South Korea. At its two ends, the Taebaek Line connects to the Jungang Line and Yeongdong Line. The line was originally two spur lines, which were built across difficult mountainous terrain...
. The three sections of the first phase with altogether 64.3 km, shortening the original route by 16.7 km, were finished by 1999 and entered service on May 18, 1999. The two gaps between those sections were plugged in a second phase in 2002 and August 2004, the altogether 58.3 km long new sections shortened the line by another 11.4 km.
The third phase of the upgrading project, started in 2002, involved the double-tracking of the remaining 35.2 km long single-track section from Iksan to Sin-ri, until the end of the Jeonju realignment, and electrification of the entire double-tracked and re-aligned section from Iksan to Suncheon, altogether 154.2 km, to allow speeds of 180 km/h. By March 2010, progress on the 154.2 km section from Iksan to Suncheon reached 63.0%. This phase of the project is implemented as a public private partnership of the Build-Transfer-Lease (BTL) method, with a government contribution of 510.852 billion won and a BTL share of 470.699 billion won. The upgrade and re-alignment of the final Suncheon-Yeosu section was launched as a separate project in 2001, with work starting in December 2003. As of March 2010, progress on the 40.0 km long alignment stood at 88.0% out of a total budget of 732.002 billion won. The entire upgrading project is to be completed in 2011.
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 Jeolla Line is to be further upgraded for 230 km/h.
Major stations
Major stations and junctions on the line:- IksanIksan StationIksan Station is on South Korea's high-speed KTX railway network, 243 km south of Yongsan Station.-History:The station opened on January 1, 1915 and KTX trains on the Honam Line began services on April 1, 2004. The most notable incident to occur at this station, however, was an explosion...
(formerly known as Iri), junction with the Honam LineHonam LineThe Honam Line is a major railway line serving the Honam region in South Korea. The line is served by frequent passenger trains from Seoul to Gwangju and Mokpo.-History:...
and janghang LineJanghang LineThe Janghang Line is a railway line serving South Chungcheong Province in South Korea. The line connects Cheonan to the railway junction city of Iksan. The Janghang Line is served by frequent Saemaul-ho and Mugunghwa passenger train services between Seoul and Iksan...
s; - Dongsan, terminus of the Bukjeonju Line;
- JeonjuJeonjuJeonju is a city in South Korea, and the capital of Jeollabuk-do, or North Jeolla Province. It is an important tourist center famous for Korean food, historic buildings, sports activities and innovative festivals.- History :...
, capital of North Jeolla; - SuncheonSuncheon StationSuncheon Station is a railway station in South Korea. It is on Gyeongjeon Line....
, junction with the Gyeongjeon LineGyeongjeon LineThe Gyeongjeon Line is a railway line serving South Gyeongsang and South Jeolla Provinces in South Korea. It covers a total of 324.8 km, from Samnangjin Station in Miryang, South Gyeongsang, to Gwangju·Songjeong Station in Gwangju, South Jeolla.-History:An east-west railway along Korea's...
; - Deogyang, terminus of the Yeocheon Line; and
- YeosuYeosuYeosu is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Old Yeosu City, which was founded in 1949, Yeocheon City, founded in 1986, and Yeocheon County were merged into a new city in 1998....
on the south coast.
Services
The Jeolla Line is served by intercity Saemaul-ho trains and cross-country Mugunghwa-hoMugunghwa-ho
The Mugunghwa-ho or Mugunghwa is a class of train operated by Korail, the national railroad of South Korea. Mugunghwa trains are the cheapest class of trains to operate cross-country. Prior to the introduction of the KTX in 2004, they were the most common passenger train along most railroad lines...
trains. As of October 2010, the travel time on Saemaul from Yongsan Station
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...
in Seoul is a minimum 3 hours 28 minutes to Jeonju, 4 hours 33 minutes to Suncheon and 5 hours 15 minutes to Yeosu, with 2 hours 30 minutes taken for the Iksan--Jeosu travel along the Jeolla Line itself. Mugunghwa trains that also start in Yongsan cover the line from Iksan to Yeosu in between a minimum of 2 hours 30 minutes and a maximum of 4 hours, depending on the number of stops.
Jeolla KTX
Yeosu will host the Expo 2012Expo 2012
Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea is an International Exposition recognized by the Bureau of International Expositions to be held in Yeosu, South Korea from May 12 to August 12, 2012...
, and Korail timed the introduction of Korea Train Express
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...
services on the line ahead of the event. Original plans foresaw a the start of Jeolla KTX services in April 2011, reducing the Seoul–Yeosu travel time to 2 hours 55 minutes, using KTX-II
KTX-II
KTX-II, or KTX-Sancheon, is a South Korean high-speed train built by Hyundai Rotem in the second half of the 2000s and operated by Korail since March 2009...
(KTX-Sancheon) high-speed trains. In February 2011, when the necessary electrification works were 96% complete, the start of services was postponed to September 2011, and the Yongsan–Yeosu travel time was planned to be 3 hours 7 minutes. After the completion of the first stage of the Honam High Speed Railway, the travel time is planned to reduce to 2 hours 25 minutes.