Kŭmgol Line

Kŭmgol Line
Overview
Other name(s) Hamnam Line
함남선(咸南線)
Native name 금골선
Type Heavy rail, Passenger/freight rail
Regional rail
Status Operational
Locale South Hamgyŏng
Termini Yŏhaejin
Muhak
Stations 17
Operation
Opened 1943
Owner Korean State Railway
Operator(s) Korean State Railway
Technical
Line length 83.4 km
No. of tracks Single track
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in) standard gauge
Electrification 3000 V DC Overhead line
Route map
Legend
P'yŏngra Line
0.0 Yŏhaejin
P'yŏngra Line
1.2 Ch'ŏn'gok
5.5 Taptong
14.1 Kwangch'ŏn
23.3 Tongdŏk
27.7 Tongam
33.8 Such'on
Sinp'yŏng
42.8 Rip'a
50.3 Sinjŭngsan
54.8 Tonsan
59.7 Paekkŭmsan
63.4 Kŭmgol
Sindŏk
Taesin
Taehŭng
83.4 Muhak
Kŭmgol Line
Chosŏn'gŭl
Hancha
Revised Romanization Geumgolseon
McCune–Reischauer Kŭmgolsŏn

The Kŭmgol Line is an electrified standard-gauge secondary line of the North Korean State Railway running from Yŏhaejin on the P'yŏngra Line to Muhak.[1] Located entirely in Tanch'ŏn, South Hamgyŏng - one of the DPRK's most important mining areas - freight trains moving ore from the mines on the line to the P'yŏngra Line form the bulk of the line's traffic.

The line is in relatively severe terrain, with a ruling grade of 26‰. There are 45 bridges with a total length of 3112 metres, and 30 tunnels with a total of 8241 metres.[2]

History

Originally called the Hamnam Line, it was built by the Japanese-owned Chosen Magnesite Development Railway (Japanese: 朝鮮マグネサイト開発鉄道 Chōsen Magunesaito Kaihatsu Tetsudō, Korean: 조선 마그네사이트 개발 철도, Chosŏn Magŭnesaitŭ Kaebal Ch'ŏldo), to exploit the magnesite deposits of the Kŏmdŏk district; the company was granted a licence to operate passenger trains on 25 March 1943.[3] The first section, 27.7 km from Yŏhaejin on the P'yŏngra Line to Tongam, was opened on 30 March 1943, followed by a 32 km extension from Tongam to Ryongyang (nowadays called Paekkŭmsan) that was opened on 4 December of the same year.[3][4]

After the partition of Korea following the end of World War 2 and the subsequent establishment of the DPRK, the line was nationalised and its name was changed to the current name. In 1961-62 the line, which by that time was outdated in technical terms, was upgraded with modern equipment; at the same time, a 3.7 km extension from Paekkŭmsan to Kŭmgol was built. The entire line was then electrified in 1977, improving the total capacity, safety and train speeds on the line.[2] The final 20 km extension from Kŭmgol to Muhak was built after 1988.

Services

Freight

Freight movements make up by far the largest amount of traffic on the Kŭmgol Line, with the bulk of that traffic moving from Kŭmgol to the connection with the P'yŏngra Line at Yŏhaejin - the vast majority of that traffic being magnesite ore from Paekkŭmsan and non-ferrous ores from the Kŏmdŏk Mining Complex. Northbound traffic is mainly coal, construction materials, foodstuffs and empty cars for ore-loading.[2]

Passenger

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

Route

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

Distance Station Name (Transcribed) Station Name (Chosŏn'gŭl) Connections
0.0 Yŏhaejin 여해진 P'yŏngra Line
1.2 Ch'ŏn'gok 천곡
5.5 Taptong 답동
14.1 Kwangch'ŏn 광천
23.3 Tongdŏk 동덕
27.7 Tongam 동암
33.8 Such'on 수촌
Sinp'yŏng 신평
42.8 Rip'a 리파
50.3 Sinjŭngsan 신증산
54.8 Tonsan 돈산
59.7 Paekkŭmsan 백금산
63.4 Kŭmgol 금골
Sindŏk 신덕
Taesin 대신
Taehŭng 대흥
83.4 Muhak 무학

References

  1. 1 2 Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), 2007, Shinchosha, Tokyo, ISBN 978-4-10-303731-6
  2. 1 2 3 The traffic and geography in North Korea: Kŭmgol Line (in Korean)
  3. 1 2 朝鮮総督部官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor–General of Korea), Shōwa No. 4854, 9 April 1943 (in Japanese)
  4. 朝鮮総督府官報(The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 5059, 13 December 1943 (in Japanese)

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