Chosen Railway

The Chosen Railway Company (Japanese: 朝鮮鉄道株式会社, Chōsen Tetsudō Kabushiki Kaisha; Korean: 조선철도주식회사, Joseon Cheoldo Jusikhoesa), was a privately owned railway company in Japanese-occupied Korea.

History

The Chosen Railway was established on 1 September 1923 through the merger of six companies:

To distinguish it from the Chosen Government Railway, which was abbreviated 鮮鉄 (Sentetsu; 선철, Seoncheol), the Chosen Railway was abbreviated 朝鉄 (Chōtetsu; 조철, Jocheol).

Routes

In terms of rail network and regional extent, it was the largest private railway in Korea at the time. The Gyeongdong and Gyeongbuk Lines were eventually nationalised by the Chosen Government Railway, while other lines were sold to other private railways.

The narrow-gauge Suryeo Line, originally opened on 1 December 1931 by the Chosen Gyeongdong Railway Co. Ltd., was bought by the Chosen Railway on 16 October 1942.[1]

At the end of the Second World War, all lines still owned by the Chosen Railway were nationalised; the lines in South Korea became part of the Korean National Railroad, and those in North Korea became part of the Korean State Railway.

Standard Gauge

Narrow Gauge

References

  1. 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 4729, 4 November 1942
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