Kaechon Line

Kaech'ŏn Line
Sinanju Ch'ŏngnyŏn station, western terminus of the Kaech'ŏn Line
Overview
Native name	개천선(价川線)
Type	Heavy rail, Passenger/Freight rail Regional rail
Status	Operational
Locale	South P'yŏngan
Termini	Sinanju Ch'ŏngnyŏn Kaech'ŏn
Stations	6
Operation
Opened	Stages between 1916–1918
Owner	Korean State Railway
Operator(s)	Korean State Railway
Depot(s)	Kaech'ŏn
Technical
Line length	29.5 km (18.3 mi)
Number of tracks	Single track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Old gauge	762 mm (2 ft 6 in)
Minimum radius	300 m (980 ft)
Electrification	3000 V DC Overhead line
Maximum incline	14‰
Route map Legend P'yŏngŭi Line 0.0 Sinanju Ch'ŏngnyŏn P'yŏngŭi Line 6.4 Anju 11.1 Puksongri 16.3 Yŏnp'ung ↑Anju-si/Kaech'ŏn-si↓ 21.3 Unhŭngri Manp'o Line Choyang Colliery Line 29.5 Kaech'ŏn Manp'o Line

The Kaech'ŏn Line is an electrified standard-gauge secondary line of the Korean State Railway running from Sinanju on the P'yŏngŭi Line to Kaech'ŏn on the Manp'o Line.^[1]

The ruling grade on the line is 14‰, the minimum curve radius is 300 m (980 ft); there are 14 bridges with a total length of 619 m (2,031 ft), and there are four tunnels with a total length of 928 m (3,045 ft).^[2]

History

The line was originally opened on 13 May 1916 as the Mitsui Mining Railway (미츠이 광산 전용 철도, Mich'ŭi Kwangsan Chŏn'yong Ch'ŏldo; 三井鉱山専用鉄道, Mitsui Kōzan Sen'yō Tetsudō) as a 762 mm narrow-gauge line running from Sinanju to Kaech'ŏn. It was subsequently extended from Kaech'ŏn to Ch'ŏndong, with the new section being opened on 1 December 1918. In 1927, the line was renamed Kaech'ŏn Light Railway (개천 경변철도, Kaech'ŏn Kyŏngbyŏn Ch'ŏldo ; 价川軽便鉄道, Kaisen Keibentetsudō), and then was leased to the Chosen Government Railway (Sentetsu) on 1 November 1932.^[3] Sentetsu began converting the Kaech'ŏn–Ch'ŏndong section to standard gauge, completing this work on 15 July 1933,^[4] and on 1 September 1933 the entirety of the line was officially absorbed into Sentetsu, with the Kaech'ŏn–Ch'ŏndong section becoming part of the Manp'o Line. After the partition of Korea the line was located in North Korea and became part of the Korean State Railway, which converted the remaining narrow-gauge section (Sinanju–Kaech'ŏn) to standard gauge in 1949;^[1] the regauging work began in March 1949 and was completed in eight months.^[2]

Electrification of the line was completed in February 1979, and semi-automatic train control was installed on the entirety of the line at the same time.^[2]

Services

Anthracite and cement are the primary commodities shipped on the line.^[2]

The following passenger trains are known to operate on this line:^[1]

• Express trains 19/20, operating between P'yŏngyang and Hŭich'ŏn Ch'ŏngnyŏn, run on this line between Sinanju Ch'ŏngnyŏn and Kaech'ŏn;
• Semi-express trains 124-125/126-127, operating between Sinŭiju Ch'ŏngnyŏn and Ch'ŏngjin Ch'ŏngnyŏn, run on this line between Sinanju Ch'ŏngnyŏn and Kaech'ŏn;
• Local trains 250-251/252-253, operating between Sinŭiju Ch'ŏngnyŏn and Hŭich'ŏn Ch'ŏngnyŏn, run on this line between Sinanju Ch'ŏngnyŏn and Kaech'ŏn.

There are also commuter trains running along the line between Sinanju Ch'ŏngnyŏn and Kaech'ŏn.^[2]

Route

A yellow background in the "Distance" box indicates that section of the line is not electrified

References

• Japanese Government Railways (1937). 鉄道停車場一覧. 昭和12年10月1日現在 [The List of Stations as of 1 October 1937] (in Japanese). Tokyo: Kawaguchi Printing Company. p. 498.