| Gyeongui Line | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 경의선 |
| Hanja | 京義線 |
| Revised Romanization | Gyeonguiseon |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kyŏngŭisŏn |
The Gyeongui Line is one of the oldest railway lines in Korea. When opened in 1906 it linked Seoul in what is now South Korea to P'yŏngyang and Sinŭiju in what is now North Korea. At Seoul, the line connected with the Gyeongbu Line to Busan, while at Sinŭiju, the line connected with the South Manchuria Railway, linking the Korean railway system to the rest of Asia and Europe.
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Korea intended to build the Gyeongui Line with its own resources at the end of the 19th century, but the project stalled due to lack of funds.[1] Imperial Japan, which gained to concession to build the Gyeongbu Line from Busan to Seoul, also sought to gain control of the Gyeongui Line project as its continuation further north, recognising the trunk route as a means to keep Korea under its influence.[1] The line was also advanced for military considerations in expectation of a confrontation with Russia, which came in 1904 as the Russo-Japanese War.[1] At the start of the war, Japan ignored Korea's declaration of neutrality and transported troops to Incheon, and forced the Korean government to sign an agreement that gave Japan's military control of railway projects if deemed necessary for military operations.[1] Japan's military began to build the Gyeongui Line, while troop bases were established in connection with the railway, the biggest of them next to the terminus of the line, Yongsan Station in Seoul.[1]
The first section of the Gyeongui Line opened from Yongsan in Seoul to Munsan on April 3, 1906.[2]
After the division of Korea in 1945, trains stopped operating between the north and south halves of the country, meaning that southern trains probably terminated at Kaesŏng, which is now in North Korea but was at the time part of the US-administered southern zone. Northern trains would have terminated north of Kaesŏng.
After the end of the Korean War in 1953, southern trains were cut back to around Munsan (north of Seoul), with northern trains terminating at Kaesŏng. Around the same time, North Korea renamed the P'yŏngyang-Kaesŏng section of the line as the P'yŏngbu (P'yŏngyang + Busan) Line and the P'yŏngyang-Sinŭiju section as the P'yŏngŭi (P'yŏngyang + Sinŭiju) Line. The DPRK sector is now 100% electrifed, although the double track section spans only from Pyongyang to Sunan International Airport.
Since the summit between the two Koreas in 2000, an effort has slowly been underway to reconnect the Gyeongui Line.[3] Southern passenger service has been extended to Dorasan on the edge of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and tracks have been built across the DMZ itself. In October 2004, the Northern connection from the DMZ to Kaesŏng was finally completed. Simultaneous test runs along the rebuilt cross-border sections of both the Gyeongui Line and the Donghae Bukbu Line were set for May 25, 2006, but North Korean military authorities cancelled the plans a day ahead of the scheduled event.[3] However, at a meeting held in Pyongyang, North Korea, on April 22, 2007, North and South Korea agreed to re-start the project.[3] On May 17, 2007, the first train, carrying North and South Korean delegations, travelled from Munsan Station in the South to Kaesong in the North.[4] The first test run on the Donghae Bukbu Line took place at the same time.[3] According to South Korean representatives, the North has agreed in principle to regular passenger and freight service along the two train lines.[5]
Meanwhile, work began to upgrade the South Korean section for high-capacity commuter services. Between Seoul and Munsan, the line is converted into an electrified, double-tracked railway in a new, straighter, 48.6 km long alignment.[6] Work began in November 1999, with a budget originally estimated at 1,970 billion won.[7] The section from Digital Media City (DMC) to Munsan was finished on July 1, 2009.[6] The remaining section will be mostly underground between Gajwa Station in northwestern Seoul to Yongsan Station in downtown Seoul.[6] As of 2009, construction progress on the entire Seoul–Munsan section reached 74% of a total budget then estimated at 2,153.271 billion won.[6] The section is to be finished by 2012, and the freed area on the surface is to be turned into a park.[8]
The line is to be further upgraded for 230 km/h, as part of a government strategic plan to reduce travel times for 95% of Korea to under 2 hours by 2020, which was announced on September 1, 2010.[9]
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The South Korean section of the Gyeongui Line was integrated with the Seoul Metropolitan Subway system with the opening of the DMC-Munsan upgrade on July 1, 2009.[6] The northernmost subway station is Munsan, and the subway runs through Paju and Ilsan, then all the way into Seoul Station.
The term "subway" in reference to this line is somewhat of a misnomer, as the line runs underground for less than three percent of its length. It's included as part of the metro system—it's newly electrified and double tracked, uses subway cars, is shown on subway maps in Seoul, and has free transfers with Seoul Subway Line 3, Line 6, and (off-platform) Line 1--but it's almost fully aboveground. It simply follows the existing line built 100 years ago. It runs largely through countryside rice paddies, forests, and vegetable fields, and outside of Seoul rarely enters urbanized areas. It is mostly at-grade, and includes several at-grade crossings with local roads, where Korail employees stand by on duty to stop traffic.
The current section from Seoul Station to Digital Media City Station is a branch line, not the main line. Most trains go from Munsan to Digital Media City and stop, while only one or two trains per hour go all the way to Seoul Station. The Gyeongui Line, then, has strong transfers to Lines 3 and 6, but it can be a long wait for those waiting for a train to Seoul Station to transfer with Line 1.
When the Yongsan-DMC section is completed in 2012, trains will run from Munsan in the far north of South Korea, south into Seoul at Yongsan Station, then continue eastward on what is currently the Jungang Line all the way to Yongmun Station, near Gangwon-do. It is known that the two lines will directly link with each other to form one (very long) subway line; it is not clear, however, what the line will be called. (It may be named after the two current line names in some combination, or it may simply be given a number such as "Seoul Subway Line 10.")
| Station # | Station | Hangeul | Hanja | Connecting lines | Station type | Doors open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K310 | Yongsan (December 2012) |
용산 | 龍山 | Line 1 Jungang Sin Bundang (2018), Honam KTX |
Aboveground | |
| K311 | Hyochang (December 2012) |
효창 | 孝昌 | Underground | ||
| K312 | Gongdeok (December 2012) |
공덕 | 孔德 | Line 5 Line 6 AREX | Underground | |
| K313 | Seogang (December 2012) |
서강 | 西江 | Underground | ||
| K314 | Hongik University (December 2012) |
홍대입구 | 弘大入口 | Line 2 AREX | Underground | |
| via Gyeongui Line | ||||||
| K315 | Gajwa | 가좌 | 加佐 | Underground | Left | |
| K316 | Digital Media City | 디지털미디어시티 | Line 6 AREX | Aboveground | Left | |
| K317 | Susaek | 수색 | 水色 | Aboveground | Left | |
| via Gyeongui Line, in Gyeonggi-do | ||||||
| K318 | Hwajeon (Korea Aerospace Univ.) |
화전 (한국항공대) |
花田 (韓國航空大) |
Aboveground | Left | |
| K319 | Gangmae (pass, not open) | 강매 | 江梅 | Aboveground | ||
| K320 | Haengsin | 행신 | 幸信 | KTX | Aboveground | Left |
| K321 | Neunggok | 능곡 | 陵谷 | Aboveground | Left | |
| K322 | Daegok | 대곡 | 大谷 | Line 3 | Aboveground | Left |
| K323 | Goksan | 곡산 | 谷山 | Aboveground | Left | |
| K324 | Baengma | 백마 | 白馬 | Aboveground | Left | |
| K325 | Pungsan (Anygol) |
풍산 (애니골) |
楓山 | Aboveground | Left | |
| K326 | Ilsan | 일산 | 一山 | Aboveground | Right | |
| K327 | Tanhyeon | 탄현 | 炭峴 | Aboveground | Left | |
| K328 | (planned) | Aboveground | ||||
| K329 | Unjeong | 운정 | 雲井 | Aboveground | Left | |
| K330 | Geumneung | 금릉 | 金陵 | Aboveground | Left | |
| K331 | Geumchon | 금촌 | 金村 | Aboveground | Left | |
| K332 | (planned) | Aboveground | ||||
| K333 | Wollong | 월롱 | 月籠 | Aboveground | Left | |
| K334 | Paju (Doowon Technical College) |
파주 (두원대학) |
坡州 (斗源大學) |
Aboveground | Left | |
| K335 | Munsan | 문산 | 汶山 | Aboveground | Random | |
| Station # | Station | Hangeul | Hanja | Connecting lines | Station type | Doors open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P313 | Seoul | 서울 | 首爾 | Line 1 Line 4 AREX Gyeongbu KTX |
Aboveground | Random |
| P314 | Sinchon Station (Gyeongui) | 신촌 | 新村 | Aboveground | Right | |
| K315 | Gajwa | 가좌 | 加佐 | Aboveground | Left |
Before the integration with the subway system, the most common service on the line was a Tonggeun train service between Seoul and Imjingang, with one Saemaeul-ho train. Since the line was integrated with the Seoul Subway system, Tonggeun service has been restricted to a few stations in the north, from Munsan to Imjingang, with a few continuing on to Dorasan, near the North Korean border.
| Station # | Station | Connecting lines | Station type | Doors open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uncheon | Aboveground | |||
| Imjingang | Aboveground | |||
| Dorasan | Aboveground |
There is a depot for Korea Train Express (KTX) trains along the Gyeongui Line at Haensin.[10] Some KTX services thus continue beyond Seoul respective Yongsan Station and terminate at Haengsin Station.[11]
The line may see more KTX service after the upgrade for 230 km/h considered in the government's strategic plan for 2020.[9]
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