Sinhung Line

Sinhŭng Line
A narrow-gauge passenger train on the Sŏho branch.
Overview
Native name	신흥선(新興線)
Type	Heavy rail, Passenger/Freight rail Regional rail
Status	Operational
Termini	Hamhŭng Pujŏnhoban
Stations	16
Operation
Opened	10 June 1923 (Hamhŭng—Yŏnggwang) 25 August 1923 (Yŏnggwang—Changp'ung) 1 October 1926 (P'ungsang—Sinhŭng) 1 February 1928 (Sinhŭng—Songhŭng) 10 September 1932 (Songhŭng—Pujŏnhoban)
Owner	Korean State Railway
Operator(s)	Korean State Railway
Depot(s)	West Hamhŭng, Sinhŭng
Technical
Line length	91.6 km (56.9 mi)
Number of tracks	Single track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge (Hamhŭng – Sinhŭng) 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) (Sinhŭng – Pujŏnhoban)
Electrification	3000 V DC Overhead line
Route map Legend 91.6 Pujŏnhoban 88.9 Toan 81.0 Pujŏn 74.7 Hamjiwŏn Sindong Closed 68.1 Pujŏllyŏng ↑Pujŏn-gun/Sinhŭng-gun↓ 66.4 Paegamsan Closed 61.0 Songhŭng 60.0 Hasonghŭng Closed 55.9 Songha 54.1 Kyŏnghŭng 47.9 Tonghŭng 43.8 Kilbong Closed P'ungdŏk 41.0 Sinhŭng↑1435 mm/762 mm↓ Usang Closed ↑Sinhŭng-gun/Yŏnggwang-gun↓ 33.5 Ch'ŏnbulsan 30.7 Chŏndong Closed 28.2 Changpung Closed 25.9 P'ungsang Changjin Line 17.0 Yŏnggwang 9.3 Pumin 6.6 Kadam ↑Yŏnggwang-gun/Tonghŭngsan-guyŏk↓ 0.0 West Hamhŭng ↑Sap'o-guyŏk/Sŏngch'ŏn-guyŏk↓ 0.0 Hamhŭng P'yŏngra Line ↑Tonghŭngsan-guyŏk/Sap'o-guyŏk↓ 1.5 Sap'o ↑Sap'o-guyŏk Sŏngch'ŏn River Hŭngnam-guyŏk↓ 6.9 Sangsu Sŏngch'ŏngang Sŏngch'ŏn River Pinallon 11.0 Unjung P'yŏngra Line 13.0 Ryongsŏng P'yŏngra Line 14.6 Hadŏk P'yŏngra Line 17.6 Sŏho P'yŏngra Line

The Sinhŭng Line is an electrified railway line of the North Korean State Railway running from Hamhŭng on the P'yŏngra Line to Pujŏnhoban on Lake Pujŏn.^[1] Between Hamhŭng and Sinhŭng, a distance of 40.9 km (25.4 mi) the line is standard gauge, but the remaining 50.6 km (31.4 mi) from Sinhŭng to the terminus at Pujŏnhoban is 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) narrow gauge;^[2] the narrow gauge section is also electrified. There is also an electrified narrow-gauge branch, the Sŏho branch, from West Hamhŭng to Sŏho. Though primarily an industrial railway connecting to the Pujŏn River hydroelectric power plant, it also plays an important role in passenger transportation in the region. There is a 550 m (1,800 ft) section between Songhŭng and Pujŏllyŏng that is cable-hauled.^[2]

History

During the Japanese colonial era, the privately owned Sinhŭng Railway built a narrow gauge railway, the Hamnam Line (not to be confused with the line of the same name of the Chosen Magnesite Development Railway, nowadays called Kŭmgol Line), to serve the newly built Pujŏn River hydroelectric power plant and to exploit forestry and other resources in the area.^[2] When complete, the Hamnam Line ran from Hamhŭng to Hamnam Sinhŭng (nowadays called simply Sinhŭng) via Oro (nowadays Yŏnggwang) , with a branch from Oro to Sang'tong. Later, the Sinhŭng Railway opened the Songhŭng Line from Sinhŭng to Pujŏnhoban. The Sinhŭng Railway was bought by the Chosen Railway on 22 April 1938.^[3]

The Sŏho Branch was also originally opened by the Sinhŭng Railway. Originally called the Namhŭng Line, it was opened in three sections between 1934 and 1936.

After the establishment of the DPRK and the nationalisation of its railways, the Hamnam Line was split up, with the Hamhŭng - Oro - Sinhŭng section becoming the Sinhŭng Line, and the Oro - Sangt'ong section becoming part of the Changjin Line. At the same time, the Songhŭng Line was merged into the Sinhŭng Line, extending it to its current length. Originally built entirely as a narrow gauge line, frequent accidents on the line led the Korean State Railway to convert the Hamhŭng—Sinhŭng to standard gauge for greater safety and increased transportation capacity.^[2] After the regauging of this section, West Hamhŭng station was disconnected from the Hamhŭng—Sinhŭng, remaining as northern terminus of the line to Sŏho. Electrification of the line to Pujŏnhoban was completed in 1992.^[1]

Services

The primary outbound freight shipped on the Sinhŭng Line is wood; potatoes and metals are also shipped out. Goods arriving onto the line from elsewhere include coal (anthracite and bituminous), fertiliser, aquatic products, grains and cement.^[2]

A pair of local passenger trains, 880/881, operate on the standard gauge section of this line between Hamhŭng and Sinhŭng;^[1] there are also passenger trains on the Sŏho branch.

Route

A yellow background in the "Distance" box indicates that section of the line is not electrified; a pink background indicates that section is 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) narrow gauge; an orange background indicates that section is non-electrified narrow gauge.

Sŏho Branch

Electrified, 762 mm (2 ft 6 in).

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 the Stations as of 1 October 1937] (in Japanese). Tokyo: kawaguchi Printing Company. pp. 510–511, 516–517.