Pyongnam Line

P'yŏngnam Line
Overview
Native name 평남선(平南線)
Type Heavy rail, Regional rail
Passenger/Freight
Locale P'yŏngyang
South P'yŏngan
Namp'o
Termini P'yŏngyang
Namp'o
Stations 17
Operation
Opened Mainline: 16 October 1910
Onch'ŏn Branch: 8 July 1938
Owner Korean State Railway
Operator(s) Korean State Railway
Technical
Line length 89.9 km (55.9 mi)
No. of tracks Single track
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification 3000 V DC Catenary
(P'yŏngyang - Namp'o)
Route map
Legend
 P'yŏngbu Line
 0.0 P'yŏngyang (Metro)
 P'yŏngŭi Line
 3.9 Pot'onggang (Metro)
P'yŏngyanghwajŏn Br.
Pot'onggang Branch
P'yŏngch'ŏn
P'yŏngyang Choch'ajang
 Potong River
 Youth Hero Motorway
 7.5 Choch'ŏn Until 1935
 8.7 Ch'ilgol
 Youth Hero Motorway
 13.3 Taep'o Closed
 15.8 Taep'yŏng
 ↑P'yŏngyang/Ch'ŏllima↓
Chamjil-li Branch
23.1 Kangsŏn
5.0 Posan
↑Ch'ŏllima/Kangsŏ↓
Chamjil-li
Posan Branch
 28.3 Kangsŏ
 Tae'an Line
 35.2 Taesŏng Closed
 Youth Hero Motorway
 ↑Kangsŏ/Ryonggang↓
 40.7 Ryonggang
 Ryonggang Line
 ↑Ryonggang/Hanggu↓
47.6 Kalch'ŏn
 ↑Hanggu/Namp'o↓

Onch'ŏn Branch
Sinnamp'o
Youth Hero Motorway
Toji-ri
↑Hanggu/Namp'o↓
Toji-ri Branch
Namp'ohang Branch
Namp'ohang
?
0.0
 Namp'o
↑Namp'o/Waudo↓
 6.7 Haesan Closed
 9.4 Tŏktong
 13.8 Sillyŏng-ri
 Sŏhae Kammun Line
 18.5 East Kwangryang
 20.7 West Kwangryang
 23.4 Hwado
 ↑Waudo/Onch'ŏn↓
 25.9 Rosang
 29.8 Kwisŏng
 34.7 P'yŏngnam Onch'ŏn
 Namdong Branch
 Ansŏk
 ↑Onch'ŏn/Chŭngsan↓
 P'ungjŏng
 Iap
 Raksaeng
 Sŏkta
 ↑Chŭngsan/P'yŏngwŏn↓
 Hanch'ŏn
 Taep'ung
 ↑P'yŏngwŏn/Sukch'ŏn↓
 Yŏmjŏn
 Manp'ung
 Namdong
 Sŏhae Line
Pyongnam Line
Chosŏn'gŭl 평남선
Hancha 平南線
Revised Romanization Pyeongnamseon
McCune–Reischauer P'yŏngnamsŏn

The P'yŏngnam Line is an electrified standard-gauge trunk line of the North Korean State Railway linking P'yŏngyang with the port city of Namp'o and the hot springs at P'yongnam Onch'on. The length of the line is 89.9 km.[1] It also serves as a connection between the various trunk lines starting at P'yŏngyang that serve the north and east of the country with the lines in the southwestern part of North Korea by means of a connection to the Sŏhae Kammun Line. It also connects to the Ryonggang Line and the freight-only Taean Line.[2]

On 21 October 2014 a groundbreaking ceremony for the Sŭngri ("Victory") project to modernise the P'yŏngnam Line from Namp'o to P'yŏngyang and the P'yŏngdŏk Line from P'yŏngyang to Chedong was held. The project, supported by Russia, is intended to form the first stage of a larger-scale cooperation with the Russian Railways as part of a 20-year development project that would modernise around 3,500 km of the North Korean rail network, and would include the construction of a north-south freight bypass around P'yŏngyang. The overall project cost is estimated to be around US $25 billion, and it is expected that exports of coal, rare earth and non-ferrous metals from the DPRK to Russia will provide the funding for the project.[3]

History

In September 1909 the Chosen Government Railway began construction of a rail line running between P'yŏngyang and Chinnamp'o (nowadays Namp'o),[2] opening it for operations on 16 October 1910.[4]

In the following years, a number of stations were opened along the line to expand the service: Kangsŏn station on 1 July 1923; Kalch'ŏn station on 1 May 1924; Taesŏng station, 35.2 km from P'yŏngyang between Kangsŏ and Ryonggang, was opened on 1 November 1925 and subsequently closed; Choch'on station was opened on 11 February 1934,[5] but a year later was dismantled and moved 1.2 km south, becoming today's Ch'ilgol Station;[6] Taebo station, 13.3 km from P'yŏngyang Station between Choch'on and Taep'yŏng Stations in Man'gyŏngdae-guyŏk, P'yŏngyang, was opened on 10 January 1944 and subsequently closed;[7] and Pot'onggang station on 21 March 1944.[8]

On 8 July 1938, the Chosen P'yŏngan Railway (朝鮮平安鉄道, Chōsen Heian Tetsudō; 조선 평안 철도, Chosŏn P'yŏngan Ch'ŏldo) opened a private railway line from Chinnamp'o to P'yŏngnam Onch'ŏn(34.7 km), running passenger trains to serve the hot springs there.[9]

Both lines were nationalised by the Korean State Railway after the establishment of the DPRK. The line was heavily damaged during the Korean War, but was subsequently rebuilt and expanded, with the construction of Sinnamp'o Station to serve glass factories and shipbuilders located there. The mainline between P'yŏngyang and Namp'o was electrified in December 1979.[2]

After the completion of the West Sea Barrage in 1986, a new rail line, the Sŏhae Kammun Line was opened, running from Sillyŏngri on the Onch'ŏn branch of the P'yŏngnam Line to Ch'ŏlgwang on the Ŭllyul Line.[1]

Services

Freight

The Ch'ŏllima Steel Complex (천리마제강련합기업소, Ch'ŏllima Chegang Ryŏnghap Kiŏpso), the April 13 Ironworks (4월13일제철소, 4-wŏl 13-il Jech'ŏlso), the Kŭmsŏng Tractor Factory (금성뜨락또르종합공장, Kŭmsŏng Ttŭraktorŭ Chonghap Kongjang), the Taean Machine Complex (대안중기계련합기업소, Taean Chunggigye Ryŏnghap Kiŏpso), the Namp'o Smelting Complex (남포제련련합기업소, Namp'o Cheryŏn Ryŏnghap Kiŏpso), Namp'o Shipyard (남포조선소, Namp'o Chosŏnso) and other industries along the mainline of the P'yŏngnam Line, are all served by freight trains, and import-export traffic through Namp'o Port - North Korea's largest in terms of traffic - is also moved by rail along this line.[2]

On the Onch'ŏn Branch, the bulk of outbound freight traffic is salt and agricultural products; inbound traffic is comprised primarily of coal, anthracite, fertiliser and goods for everyday use. There is also a significant amount of military traffic along this line, destined for P'yŏngnam Onch'ŏn.[2]

Passenger

A number of long-distance and local passenger trains serve the P'yŏngnam Line.

Four passenger trains operate over the entirety of the mainline.[2] These are semi-express trains 146-147/148-149 between Sinŭiju Ch'ŏngnyŏn on the P'yŏngŭi Line and Namp'o via P'yŏngyang;[1] regional trains 226-227/228-229 between Tŏkch'ŏn on the P'yŏngdŏk Line and P'yŏngnam Onch'ŏn;[1] regional trains 225/230 between Potonggang and P'yŏngnam Onch'ŏn;[1] and regional trains 240-241 between Haeju Ch'ŏngnyŏn on the Hwanghae Ch'ŏngnyŏn Line and Namp'o via P'yŏngyang.[1]

Other passenger trains on the line include local trains 361/362, operating between Namp'o and Ch'ŏlgwang, running from Namp'o to Sillyŏng-ri and continuing to Ch'ŏlgwang via the Sŏhaekammun Line, and local trains 733/734, operating between Kangsŏ and Mayŏng on the Ryonggang Line via Ryonggang.[1]

Due to the poor state of the tracks, at present the travel time for trains between P'yŏngyang and Namp'o is around three hours.

Route

The mainline has a number of branchlines:[1][2]

Mainline

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 P'yŏngyang 평양 P'yŏngŭi Line, P'yŏngdŏk Line
3.9 Pot'onggang 보통강 P'yŏngyang Thermal Power Plant Branch, Pot'onggang Branch
8.7 Ch'ilgol 칠골
15.8 Taep'yŏng 대평
23.1 Kangsŏn 강선 Chamjil-li Branch
28.3 Kangsŏ 강서 Tae'an Line, Posan Branch
40.7 Ryonggang 룡강 Ryonggang Line
47.6 Kalch'ŏn 갈천
54.9 Sinnamp'o 신남포 Onch'ŏn Branch
55.2 Namp'o 남포 Toji-ri Branch, Namp'ohang Branch

P'yŏngyanghwajon Branch

This line serves the P'yŏngyang Thermal Power Plant.

Distance Station Name (Transcribed) Station Name (Chosŏn'gŭl) Connections
0.0 Pot'onggang 보통강 P'yŏngnam Line
3.7 P'yŏngch'ŏn 평천

Pot'onggang Branch

This line serves the P'yŏngyang Marshalling Yard.

Distance Station Name (Transcribed) Station Name (Chosŏn'gŭl) Connections
0.0 Pot'onggang 보통강 P'yŏngnam Line
P'yŏngyang Choch'ajang 평양조차장

Chamjil-li Branch

Not electrified.

Distance Station Name (Transcribed) Station Name (Chosŏn'gŭl) Connections
Kangsŏn 강선 P'yŏngnam Line
Chamjil-li 잠질리

Posan Branch

Electrified.

Distance Station Name (Transcribed) Station Name (Chosŏn'gŭl) Connections
0.0 Kangsŏ 강서 Tae'an Line, P'yŏngnam Line
5.0 Posan ë³´ì‚°

Onch'ŏn Branch

Partially electrified.

Distance Station Name (Transcribed) Station Name (Chosŏn'gŭl) Connections
0.0 Namp'o 남포
0.3 Sinnamp'o 신남포 P'yŏngnam Line
9.4 Tŏktong 덕동
13.8 Sillyŏng-ri 신령리 Sŏhaekammun Line
18.5 East Kwangryang (Tonggwangryang) 동광량
20.7 West Kwangryang (Sŏgwangryang) 서광량
23.4 Hwado 화도
25.9 Rosang 로상
29.8 Kwisŏng 귀성
34.7 P'yŏngnam Onch'ŏn 평남온천 Namdong Branch

Namdong Branch

Not electrified.

Distance Station Name (Transcribed) Station Name (Chosŏn'gŭl) Connections
0.0 P'yŏngnam Onch'ŏn 평남온천 Onch'ŏn Branch
Ansŏk 안석
P'ungjŏng 풍정
Iap 이압
Raksaeng 락생
Sŏkta 석다
Hanch'ŏn 한천
Taep'ung 대풍
Yŏmjŏn 염전
Manp'ung 만풍
48.7 Namdong 남동 Sŏhae Line (Namdong Branch)

Toji-ri Branch

This non-electrified branch serves the Namp'o Smelting Complex.

Distance Station Name (Transcribed) Station Name (Chosŏn'gŭl) Connections
Namp'o 남포 P'yŏngnam Line, Namp'ohang Branch
Toji-ri 도지리

Namp'ohang Branch

This line serves Namp'o Port.

Distance Station Name (Transcribed) Station Name (Chosŏn'gŭl) Connections
0.0 Namp'o 남포 P'yŏngnam Line, Toji-ri Branch
Namp'ohang 남포항

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), ISBN 978-4-10-303731-6
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 The traffic and geography in North Korea: P'yŏngnam Line(in Korean)
  3. ↑ http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/news/asia/single-view/view/north-korea-launches-victory-railway-upgrading.html
  4. ↑ 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Gazette of the Governor-General of Korea), Meiji No. 32, 5 October 1910
  5. ↑ 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Gazette of the Governor-General of Korea), Showa No. 2122, 8 February 1934
  6. ↑ 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Gazette of the Governor-General of Korea), Showa No. 2614, 27 September 1935
  7. ↑ 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Gazette of the Governor-General of Korea), Showa No. 5077, 10 January 1944
  8. ↑ 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Gazette of the Governor-General of Korea), Showa No. 5137, 22 March 1944
  9. ↑ 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Gazette of the Governor-General of Korea), Showa No. 3447, 14 July 1938
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, January 13, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.