Gyeongui Line

Not to be confused with Pyongui Line.
Gyeongui Line
Overview
Native name 경의선(京義線)
Type Heavy rail, Passenger/Freight
Regional rail
Locale Seoul
Goyang
Paju
Termini Seoul
Dorasan
Stations 23
Operation
Opened 1905 (The first opening)
1 April 1908 (Open for passengers)
Owner Korea Rail Network Authority
Operator(s) Korail
Technical
Line length 56.1 km (34.9 mi)
No. of tracks Double track (Seoul - Munsan)
Single track
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification 25 kV/60 Hz AC Catenary
Route map
Legend
Gyeongbu Line
0.0 Seoul
0.7 Seosomun Closed in 1944
 1.8 Ahyeonri Closed in 1944
 3.1 Sinchon
Sinchon Connection Line

Yongsan Line
5.8 Gajwa
7.5 Digital Media City
8.1 Suseak
Susaek Rail Yard
↑Seoul/Goyang↓
11.5 Hwajeon
 14.0 Gangmae
 14.9 Haengsin
Goyang Rail Yard
 16.4 Neunggok

18.2 Daegok
Gyooe Line
Seoul Ring Expressway
 19.9 Goksan
 21.5 Baengma
 23.2 Pungsan
 25.1 Ilsan
 26.8 Tanhyeon
 ↑Goyang/Paju↓
 28.9 Yadang planned
 30.4 Unjeong
 33.5 Geumneung
 35.6 Geumchon
 39.7 Wollong
 41.9 Paju
Munsan Rail Yard
46.3 Munsan
50.0 Uncheon
 52.3 Imjingang
 Imjin river
 56.1 Dorasan
 57.8 Jangdan Closed in 1950
 ROK-DPRK border
 63.4 Panmun
 Pyongbu Line
Gyeongui Line
Hangul 경의선
Hanja 京義線
Revised Romanization Gyeonguiseon
McCune–Reischauer Kyŏngŭisŏn
Dorasan Station

The Gyeongui Line is a railway line between Seoul and Dorasan Station in Paju. Korail operates the Seoul Metropolitan Subway service between Seoul Station and Munsan Station.

History

Originally the line continued to P'yŏngyang and Sinŭiju, both of which are now in North Korea, or even to the South Manchuria Railway, linking the Korean railway system to the rest of Asia and Europe.

The Korean Empire 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]

Inter-Korea border

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 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 restart 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]

Upgrade

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 2014[8] and the freed area on the surface is to be turned into a park.[9]

The line is to be further upgraded for 230 kilometres per hour (140 mph), 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.[10]

Services

Seoul Metropolitan Subway

Seoul - Munsan section of Gyeongui Line became a part of Seoul Metropolitan Subway and the commuter trains of Korail started the train service.[6] The line connects Seoul Station, DMC, Ilsan, Paju, and Munsan, and offers transfer with Line 2, Line 3, Seoul Subway Line 5, Line 6, AREX and (off-platform) Line 1 were created.

The mainstream service used Gongdeok Station and Gajwa Station, instead of to Seoul Station. On December 27, 2014, the service was merged with Jungang Line's service with extension to Yongsan Station from Gongdeok Station and renamed as "Gyeongui–Jungang Line".

Regular rail service

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 had 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.

KTX

There is a depot for Korea Train Express (KTX) trains along the Gyeongui Line at Haengsin Station.[11] Some KTX services thus continue beyond Seoul respective Yongsan Station and terminate at Haengsin Station.[12]

The line may see more KTX service after the upgrade for 230 km/h considered in the government's strategic plan for 2020.[10]

Stations

Gyeongui Railway stations
Station # Station Hangeul Hanja Connecting lines Station type Doors open
K310 Yongsan 용산 龍山  Gyeongui–​Jungang 
 Shinbundang  (2018)
Honam Jeolla
Saemaul-ho services
Mugunghwa-ho services		 Aboveground
K311 Hyochang
(June, 2015)[13]		 효창 孝昌 Underground
K312 Gongdeok 공덕 孔德 Underground
K313 Sogang Univ. 서강대 西江大 Underground
K314 Hongik Univ. 홍대입구 弘大入口 Underground
via Gyeongui Line
K315 Gajwa 가좌 加佐 Underground/Aboveground Left
K316 Digital Media City 디지털미디어시티 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 강매 江梅 Aboveground
K320 Haengsin 행신 幸信 Gyeongbu HSR
Gyeongbu Honam
Gyeongjeon Jeolla		 Aboveground Left
K321 Neunggok 능곡 陵谷 Aboveground Left
K322 Daegok 대곡 大谷 Aboveground Left
K323 Goksan 곡산 谷山 Aboveground Left
K324 Baengma 백마 白馬 Aboveground Left
K325 Pungsan 풍산 楓山 Aboveground Left
K326 Ilsan 일산 一山 Aboveground Right
K327 Tanhyeon 탄현 炭峴 Aboveground Left
K328 Yadang
(planned)		 야당 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
Seoul Station branch stations
Station # Station Hangeul Hanja Connecting lines Station type Doors open
P313 Seoul 서울 首爾
Gyeongbu HSR
Gyeongbu
Saemaul-ho services
Mugunghwa-ho services		 Aboveground Random
P314 Sinchon 신촌 新村 Aboveground Right
K315 Gajwa 가좌 加佐 Aboveground Left
Stations after Munsan
Station # Station Hangeul Hanja Connecting lines Station type Doors open
Uncheon 운천 雲泉 Aboveground
Imjingang 임진강 臨津江 Aboveground
Dorasan 도라산 都羅山 Aboveground

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Korea’s Railway Network the Key to Imperial Japan’s Control". The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  2. ↑ "경영원칙 > 경영공시 > 영업현황 > 영업거리현황". Korail. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Trans-Korean Railway" (PDF). Korean Rail Technology (English) 9: 09–11. September 2007. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
  4. ↑ Choe Sang-hun (2007-05-18). "North and South Send Trains Across the Korean Frontier". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-05-18.
  5. ↑ "Freight Rail Link Between Two Koreas Seems Imminent". Forbes. 2007-11-16. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "용산∼문산 복선전철". Korea Rail Network Authority. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
  7. ↑ "South Korea's growing network". Railway Gazette International. 2008-09-08. Archived from the original on 2010-08-14. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
  8. ↑ "[수도권II] 경의선 효창정거장 부지 220m 때문에" (in Korean). Chosun. August 25, 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  9. ↑ 폐철로 위에 핀 '녹색문화공원' (in Korean). The Chosun Ilbo. 2009-11-09. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
  10. 1 2 "Bullet trains coming to a town near you by 2020". JoongAng Daily. 2010-09-02. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
  11. ↑ Lee, Kyung Chul (August 2007). "Launch of Korean High-Speed Railway and Efforts to Innovate Future Korean Railway" (PDF). Japan Railway & Transport Review (48): 30–35. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
  12. ↑ "Booking". Korail. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
  13. ↑ http://blog.naver.com/onezero1010/220145149282

External links

Media related to Gyeongui Line at Wikimedia Commons

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