Gyeongchun Line
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The Gyeongchun Line is a railway line connecting Seoul to Chuncheon in South Korea. The line is operated by Korail. The name of the line is derived from Gyeong (京, meaning the capital, Seoul) and Chuncheon. The line was reconstructed in a new alignment in its entirety in the 2000s. A metro rail service operates between Sangbong Station on the Jungang Line in eastern Seoul and Chuncheon Station as part of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway system since December 21, 2010. A class of passenger train service named ITX began operations on February 28, 2012, linking Chuncheon to Cheongnyangni and Yongsan Stations.
History
The original Gyeongchun Line was opened along its full length of 87.3 km between Seongbuk Station, on the Gyeongwon Line, to Chuncheon on July 25, 1939.[1] In South Korea, Chuncheon was the most popular destination for students on orientation trips, bringing passengers to the line.[2]
Upgrade
The line was upgraded into an electrified and double-tracked line for 180 km/h (112 mph).[2][3][4] Between Geumgok and Chuncheon, from 1997 until 2010, the line was re-laid in a straighter, 64.2 km long alignment with a budget of 2.151,931 billion won.[5] The remaining 17.9 km of the upgraded line was built with a separate budget of 574.124 billion won.[6] Towards Seoul, after Toegyewon Station, this section of the new line diverges from the old alignment that ended in Seongbuk, and connects to the Jungang Line at Mangu Station.[6]
The new alignment was originally planned to be opened in 2004, but completion of the works was delayed for various reasons, including lack of funds.[4] The complete new alignment opened and the old one closed on December 21, 2010.[2]
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 Gyeongchun Line is to be further upgraded for 230 km/h and may see KTX service.[7] For the longer term, the government also considers to build a parallel high-speed line that would continue beyond Chuncheon to Sokcho on South Korea's east coast.[7]
Services
When the new Gyeongchun Line opened on December 21, 2010, passenger service was integrated into the Seoul Metropolitan Subway system, bringing that system from Seoul all the way into Gangwon-do.[2] The new service reduced travel time between Chuncheon and Sangbong in Seoul from two hours to 89 minutes, with different trains operating according to different stopping patterns; and increased capacity five-fold.[2] Compared to the previous Mugunghwa-ho train service on the Gyeongchun Line, fares dropped by half.[2] For the service, Hyundai Rotem supplied Korail with fifteen 8-car Class 361000 EMUs with a maximum speed of 110 km/h (68 mph).[4]
On February 28, 2012, Korail introduced ITX service (Intercity Train EXpress), which uses Class 368000 trains with double-deck cars. From Chuncheon Station, the fastest ITX trains take 52 minutes to Cheongnyangni Station, and 68 minutes to Yongsan Station in Seoul, operating at a maximum speed of 180 km/h (112 mph).[4][8] The base fare is 9800 won between Chuncheon and Yongsan, currently it has a 30% discount. The express metro rail service was phased out along with the advent of the ITX service.
Stations
Current alignment
Opened December 21, 2010
| Station number |
Station name | ITX | Metro | Transfer | Line name | Station distance |
Total distance |
Location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romanized | Hangul | Hanja | in km | ||||||||
| Yongsan | 용산 | 龍山 | |
Line 1 Jungang | Line |
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| Cheongnyangni | 청량리 | 淸凉里 | |
Line 1 Jungang | |
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Kwangwoon University | 광운대 | 光云大 | |
Line 1 | Line |
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Sangbong | 상봉 | 上鳳 | |
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Line 7 Jungang | |
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Mangu | 망우 | 忘憂 | |
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Jungang | |
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Sinnae | 신내 | 新內 | |
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Line 6 (2016) | Line |
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Galmae | 갈매 | 葛梅 | |
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Byeollae | 별내 | 別內 | |
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Line 8 (2020) | |
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Toegyewon | 퇴계원 | 退溪院 | |
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Sareung | 사릉 | 思陵 | |
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Geumgok | 금곡 | 金谷 | |
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Pyeongnae-Hopyeong | 평내호평 | 坪內好坪 | |
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Cheonmasan | 천마산 | 天摩山 | |
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Maseok | 마석 | 磨石 | |
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Daeseong-ri | 대성리 | 大成里 | |
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Cheongpyeong | 청평 | 淸平 | |
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Sangcheon | 상천 | 上泉 | |
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Gapyeong | 가평 | 加平 | |
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Gulbongsan | 굴봉산 | 屈峰山 | |
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Baegyang-ri | 백양리 | 白楊里 | |
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Gangchon | 강촌 | 江村 | |
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Gimyujeong | 김유정 | 金裕貞 | |
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Namchuncheon | 남춘천 | 南春川 | |
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Chuncheon | 춘천 | 春川 | |
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| - Yongsan, Cheongnyangni Stations are not included in the actual distance due to lack of metro rail service. The negative sign is only a convention for distance notation. - ITX: Express Train Class (O: regular stop | ♯: only stops during rush hours | ♭: only stops for trains departing from/bound for Cheongnyangni | X: irregular stop) | |||||||||||
Former alignment
| Station name | Connecting services | Station type | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romanized | Hangul | Hanja | ||
| Seongbuk | 성북 | 城北 | Line 1 via Gyeongwon | Aboveground |
| Singongdeok | 신공덕 | 新孔德 | Aboveground | |
| Hwarangdae | 화랑대 | 花郞臺 | Aboveground | |
| Toegyewon | 퇴계원 | 退溪院 | Aboveground | |
| Sareung | 사릉 | 思陵 | Aboveground | |
| Geumgok | 금곡 | 金谷 | Aboveground | |
| Pyeongnae-Hopyeong | 평내호평 | 坪內好坪 | Aboveground | |
| Maseok | 마석 | 磨石 | Aboveground | |
| Daeseong-ri | 대성리 | 大成里 | Aboveground | |
| Cheongpyeong | 청평 | 淸平 | Aboveground | |
| Sangcheon | 상천 | 上泉 | Aboveground | |
| Gapyeong | 가평 | 加平 | Aboveground | |
| Gyeonggang (Gulbongsan) | 굴봉산 | 屈峰山 | Aboveground | |
| Baegyang-ri | 백양리 | 白楊里 | Aboveground | |
| Gangchon | 강촌 | 江村 | Aboveground | |
| Gimyujeong | 김유정 | 金裕貞 | Aboveground | |
| Namchuncheon | 남춘천 | 南春川 | Aboveground | |
| Chuncheon | 춘천 | 春川 | Aboveground | |
See also
- Korail
- Transportation in South Korea
- List of Korea-related topics
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gyeongchun Line. |
- ↑ "경영원칙 > 경영공시 > 영업현황 > 영업거리현황". Korail. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Historic railway line chugs on into history". JoongAng Daily. 2010-12-09. Retrieved 2010-12-16.
- ↑ "Korea's railways face a bright future". International Railway Journal. 2008-07-01. Archived from the original on 2008-07-02. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "South Korea's growing network". Railway Gazette International. 2008-09-08. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
- ↑ "경춘선 복선전철". Korea Rail Network Authority. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "망우∼금곡 복선전철". Korea Rail Network Authority. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Bullet trains coming to a town near you by 2020". JoongAng Daily. 2010-09-02. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRGcA84G318
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