133-651: The P'yŏngŭi Line is an electrified main trunk line of the Korean State Railway of North Korea , running from P'yŏngyang to Sinŭiju on the border with China . It is the main corridor for overland traffic between North Korea and China, and is one of the country's most important rail lines. A bridge over the Yalu River connects Sinŭiju to the Chinese city of Dandong and the Shendan Line of
266-516: A " Strong and Prosperous Nation " were implemented, and slowly the situation in North Korea began to improve - especially as a result of South Korean President Kim Dae-jung 's Sunshine Policy of rapprochement with the North. In July 2000, talks began between the two Koreas to discuss the reopening of the former Kyŏngŭi Line that once ran between Seoul and Sinŭiju via P'yŏngyang ; this line
399-471: A 16-day battle in which it is said the division's clerks, bandsmen, technical and supply personnel joined in the fight to defend against the attackers, eventually forcing a withdrawal of the KPA forces. The 2nd Infantry Division is unique in that it is the only U.S. Army division that is partially made up of South Korean soldiers, called KATUSAs (Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army). Some 27,000 KATUSAs served with
532-502: A few years later. Although the USSR had promised to deliver Soviet-made electric locomotives to North Korea, this never took place, so to supplement the sixteen electric locomotives inherited from Sentetsu, in 1958 Kukch'ŏl ordered ten Type 22E 2 locomotives from the Škoda Works of Czechoslovakia . This was just a temporary measure, however, as the main goal was the development of a domestically produced electric locomotive. To this end,
665-612: A five-month shutdown. At the same time, passenger services were reopened on the eastern line to carry passengers to the Mount Kŭmgang Tourist Region , although that service was discontinued in July 2008 after the shooting of a South Korean tourist. In 2008, an inspection of the railways was carried out by the National Defence Commission , revealing massive corruption, as a result of which Kim Yong-sam
798-690: A joint venture of the Russian Railways and the Port of Rason , which has formally leased the line for 49 years. The upgrade work was officially completed on 22 September 2013. The second decade of the 21st century has continued the trends of the first, as further new lines have been or are being built, such as a line from Tongrim on the P'yŏngui Line to the Sŏhae Satellite Launching Station in Tongchang. The second stage of
931-585: A licence to build the Škoda Type 30E was bought from Czechoslovakia, including technology transfer, and a number were built to the original design to gain familiarity with the process, but most of the effort was placed on designing the larger, indigenous design. The prototype of the DPRK's first domestically produced mainline electric locomotive, the Red Flag 1 , was completed at the Kim Chŏng-t'ae Works (then called
1064-525: A national mourning period of several years. This, together with the loss of aid money from former allies after the collapse of Communism in eastern Europe and the dissolution of the USSR, as well as major flooding and other natural disasters, led to a period of economic crisis known as the Arduous March ; the attempt to overcome this through the introduction of the Sŏngun policy only served to exacerbate
1197-588: A newly established Ministry of Railways (조선 민주주의 인민 공화국 철도성, Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk Ch'ŏldosŏng ). Re-electrification of the Yangdŏk – Ch'ŏnsŏng section of the P'yŏngra Line , which had been initially electrified in 1948 but destroyed during the Korean War, was completed with Soviet assistance on 25 May 1956, but the large-scale electrification of North Korea's rail lines began only in 1958; by
1330-527: A passenger train, consisting of the locomotive MaTeI 10 and 25 cars, going from Hanp'o to Munsan was ordered to stop at Changdan by the US Army and was destroyed. The locomotive is now on display at Imjingak . The Munsan-Kaesong section was thus closed, severing the north–south railway connection. Between April 1937 and May 1943, the Imperial Japanese Army built a second bridge across
1463-600: A rearrangement of lines, the main line was shortened by almost 11 km (6.8 mi). To accomplish this, the South Sinŭiju–Naejung–Yŏmju section of the Yangsi Line was made the mainline of the P'yŏngŭi Line, while the former mainline, South Sinŭiju–Paengma–Yŏmju, was split off to become the current Paengma Line . Also, in August of that year, the electrification of the entire line from P'yŏngyang to Sinŭiju
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#17327755580431596-529: A shorter standard gauge line to replace the existing narrow gauge line; the work was completed quickly, and by September of that year the new, 41.7 km (25.9 mi) "Hwanghae Main Line" was opened. However, the rest of the line from Hasŏng to Haeju remained narrow gauge. The Hwanghae Main Line was, like most other lines, extensively damaged in the Korean War; refurbishment of the Hwanghae Main Line
1729-549: A very large portion of traffic in North Korea: Due to the ageing infrastructure, normal operation is made difficult by chronic power shortages and poor state of infrastructure maintenance. Sleepers, tunnels and bridges are in a critically poor state of repair. Tracks are laid on either wooden or concrete sleepers, using rails of 37, 40, 50, 60 kg/m (75, 81, 101, 121 lb/yd) of domestic, Chinese and Russian manufacture. Riverine gravel and crushed stone ballast
1862-459: Is 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) standard gauge , 156 km (97 mi) of 1,520 mm ( 4 ft 11 + 27 ⁄ 32 in ) broad gauge , and 523 km (325 mi) is 762 mm ( 2 ft 6 in ) narrow gauge Of the total, about 80% is in regular use. 3,893.5 km (2,419.3 mi) of the standard gauge lines are electrified at 3 kV DC and 295.5 km (183.6 mi) of
1995-401: Is being actively pursued at this time. On 8 December 2013, an agreement was reached between North Korea and a consortium of Chinese companies to construct a high-speed railway connecting Kaesŏng , P'yŏngyang, and Sinŭiju . The project is to be a build-operate-transfer arrangement, in which the construction, scheduled to take five years, will be funded by the consortium, which will then operate
2128-568: 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. In January 2017, a Russian delegation visited Pyongyang to discuss the expansion of cooperation between Kukch'ŏl and the Russian Railways. This included agreements to allow students at the Pyongyang Railway University to enrol at
2261-479: Is generally composed of eight coaches and one dining car operating between P'yŏngyang and Sinŭiju, two North Korean sleeping cars between P'yŏngyang and Beijing, and three China Railways coaches and one Korean State Railway sleeping car between P'yŏngyang and Dandong , China. Imjingak Imjingak ( Korean : 임진각 ; Hanja : 臨津閣 , pronounced Ihm-jin-gak), and sometimes in English called
2394-599: Is now split between the P'yŏngŭi Line in the north running from Sinŭiju to P'yŏngyang and the P'yŏngbu Line from P'yŏngyang via Kaesŏng to the Korean Demilitarized Zone , and Korail 's Kyŏngŭi Line, which runs from the DMZ via Torasan to Seoul. Work in the South began almost immediately, and service was restarted on the 6.1 km (3.8 mi) Munsan – Imjingang section of on 30 September 2001, and on
2527-782: Is the operating arm of the North Korean Ministry of Railways. It is divided into five Regional Bureaus: P'yŏngyang, Kaech'ŏn , Hamhŭng , Ch'ŏngjin , and Sariwŏn . Also subordinate to the Railway Ministry are five major industrial concerns: the Kim Chong-t'ae Electric Locomotive Works in P'yŏngyang, the 4 June Rolling Stock Works in Wŏnsan, the Ch'ŏngjin Railway Factory , the 7.6 Vehicle Parts Factory and
2660-521: Is to be a build-operate-transfer arrangement, in which the construction, scheduled to take five years, will be funded by the consortium, which will then operate the line for 30 years, after which the Railway Ministry will take over operations and complete ownership of the line. The rail line is to be a double-track line of about 400 km (250 mi) with an operating speed of over 200 km/h (120 mph). The P'yŏngŭi Line serves numerous important industrial centres such as Tongrim, Mundŏk, Chŏngju and
2793-658: Is used. Tunnels are of concrete construction; many are in poor condition, having been built during the colonial era. Communications equipment and the semi-automatic signalisation infrastructure dates to the 1970s, and was imported from China and the Soviet Union. The poor state of the infrastructure severely restricts operational speeds - average train speeds are as low as 20 km/h (12 mph)–60 km/h (37 mph) (in South Korea 60 km/h (37 mph)–100 km/h (62 mph) on non-high speed lines): only on
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#17327755580432926-456: The Ch'ŏlsan Line was extended in the early 2000s to the launch facility via Ch'ŏlsan and Tongchang. On 22 April 2004, the worst railway disaster in the DPRK occurred when a train carrying ammonium nitrate fertiliser exploded at Ryongch'ŏn Station . On 8 December 2013, an agreement was reached between North Korea and a consortium of Chinese companies to construct a high-speed railway connecting Kaesŏng , P'yŏngyang, and Sinŭiju . The project
3059-497: The China Railway to Shenyang and Chinese points beyond. The total length of the line is 225.1 km (139.9 mi), which corresponds to 5.3% of the total national railway network. Although most of the line is single track, the P'yŏngyang–Kalli (17.9 km (11.1 mi)), Sukch'ŏn – Ŏp'a (10.6 km (6.6 mi)) and Sinŭiju–South Sinŭiju sections (5.2 km (3.2 mi)) are double-tracked. The ruling grade on
3192-684: The Hambuk Line was finished in 1995 with the wiring of the Hoeryŏng – Namyang section, while the electrification of the Kŭmgangsan Ch'ŏngnyŏn Line was completed on 15 April 1997. In 1993, a plan to double track a total of 337 km of lines was started. In the Japanese era, most trunk lines were double tracked; however, needing to rebuild quickly after the extensive destruction of the Korean War, these lines were rebuilt as single track lines - even
3325-486: The Hongŭi Line , Sinŭiju still remains the most important railway border station. According to the 1996 timetable, the travel time between P'yŏngyang and Sinŭiju was 4 hours 30 minutes; in comparison, the travel time over the same relation for the "Koa" limited express of 1942 was 4 hours 15 minutes, despite running via the longer Paengma Line . Although in the past speeds of up to 100 km/h (62 mph) were reached on
3458-602: The K62-class diesel locomotives were converted to electric locomotives by replacing their diesel engines with electric motors, resulting in the Kanghaenggun-class (강행군, "Forced March") , the first eleven of which were put into service on electrified trunk lines in 1998. For propaganda purposes, these were announced as being new domestically produced locomotives. This was not the only case in which refurbished equipment, or equipment bought second-hand from overseas,
3591-666: The Korean War which broke out on 25 June 1950 interrupted progress. Initially, the Korean People's Army was dominant, occupying most of the Korean Peninsula apart from a small pocket around Pusan ; during this time, many railway vehicles, such as DeRoI-class electric locomotives and steam locomotives built in Japan after the end of the war and delivered to South Korea as reparations, were taken to North Korea. At
3724-469: The North-South railway . The 2nd Infantry Division (2ID) was the first major US unit to reach Korea from the continental United States on July 23, 1950. Relieving the 540-man task force of the 24th Infantry Division who had immediately deployed from Itazuke Air Base in Japan at the start of hostilities one month earlier, the 2ID soon found themselves engaging with the Korean People's Army (KPA) in
3857-515: The P'yŏngbu Line are speeds of 100 km/h (62 mph) possible. The railway provides the primary form of long-distance transport in North Korea. Although the Soviet Army restarted operation of passenger trains just days after the formal partition of Korea in 1945, it was only after the end of the Korean War that regularly scheduled international trains between the DPRK and China were resumed. An agreement on cross-border train service
3990-494: 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 (2,200 mi) of the North Korean rail network, and would include the construction of a north–south freight bypass around P'yŏngyang. The overall project cost
4123-539: The P'yŏngra Line , opened on 10 June 1965 as a shortcut line leading to a significant reduction in travel time between Chongjin and Rajin, was actually just the completion of the Ch'ŏngra Line project started by Sentetsu in 1945, but whose construction was interrupted by the end of Japanese rule. Similarly, the Tŏksŏng Line , opened by Kukch'ŏl on 6 October 1960, was simply an implementation of an unrealised Sentetsu project of
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4256-426: The P'yŏngyang Metro in 1973; though most of the trolleybusses were built in North Korea to Czechoslovak and Soviet designs, the metro - despite claims of being entirely of domestic production - used mostly equipment supplied from China . However, as at that time even Seoul had no subway system, its opening was proclaimed to be proof of the superiority of the socialist system. Expansion and electrification of
4389-487: The P'yŏngyang Railway University was opened in September 1959. Thus, by the end of the 1950s, North Korea's rail network had been restored to what it had been during the period of Japanese rule, with 3,167 km (1,968 mi) of standard gauge and 599 km (372 mi) of narrow-gauge lines once again operational. The 1960s were a breakthrough decade for North Korea. With the reconstruction of damage caused by
4522-699: The Pyongyang Rolling Stock Repair Works . Of these, the Kim Chong-t'ae Works and the 4 June Works are by far the most important. There are four research institutes subordinate to the Railway Ministry for scientific research, design review, and the exploration of new technologies for the design and production of rolling stock (the P'yŏngyang Railway University , also subordinate to the Ministry, also takes part in design work and design review), and product inspection; inspection of
4655-563: The West Sea Barrage on 24 June 1986, and numerous other such lines. Some major projects were initiated, such as the Pukpu Line which was to have been a new east–west transversal trunk line in the very north of the country, but were only partially completed: though work started in 1981, the first stage, from Manp'o to Hyesan was completed only in 1988, but further construction was suspended for over twenty years. Regardless,
4788-465: The division of Korea and currently receives approximately 1.2 million visitors per year. Imjingak is where the " Freedom Bridge " lies. Crossing the Imjin river, it is a former railroad bridge which was used by repatriated POWs/soldiers returning from the North . It is more famous, however, for serving until 1998 as the only point of egress from South Korea onto the DMZ, other than Liberty Bridge (which
4921-507: The 1940s to extend a line that had been completed as early as 1929, or the Kŭmgol Line , whose completion was announced in 1962, when Kŭmgol was reached; this was, however, only a 3.7 km (2.3 mi) extension to complete a project begun by a private railway in the colonial era, with most of the line (almost 60 km (37 mi)) being opened in 1943. Some of the newly built lines were 762 mm (30.0 in) narrow gauge, such as
5054-519: The 3.7 km (2.3 mi) Imjingang–Torasan section on 12 February 2002. Groundbreaking ceremonies took place in September 2002 for the reconstruction of the Kaesŏng–Torasan section across the DMZ and the reconnection of the former Tonghae Pukpu Line on the east coast, which is presently split between the North's Kŭmgangsan Ch'ŏngnyŏn Line from Anbyŏn on the Kangwŏn Line via Kŭmgangsan to
5187-459: The 38 km (24 mi) distance each way. Despite the failure of the high-speed train project, development of electric locomotives continued. A particular problem was the lack of sufficient tractive power on heavy freight trains on mountainous lines, and to address this, an 8-axle articulated locomotive was designed. Based on the Red Flag 2 class, the first prototype of the Red Flag 6-class
5320-753: The 3rd Battalion 187th Infantry Regiment of the Rakkasans was the first to arrive in Korea, arriving at Kimpo Airfield on 23 September, 1950, placed under the operational control of the First Marine Division. The 187th led the second and last parachute assault in Korea on 23 March 1951 as part of Operation Tomahawk. During the Korean War, three members of the regiment were awarded the Medal of Honor: Lester Hammond, Jr., Rodolfo P. Hernandez and Richard G. Wilson. Approximately 1,000 Guamanians served with
5453-459: The 53.7 km (33.4 mi) Ŭnnyul Line opened in 1963 (this was converted to standard gauge in 1971 ), and the Sŏhaeri Line , opened in 1964 to serve iron ore mines and a small port. In the 1970s, North Korea aimed to further develop the railways through the promotion of science and technology. In the "Six-Year Plan for People's Economic Development" that started in 1971, Kim Il Sung, under
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5586-441: The DMZ, and the southern section of the former Tonghae Pupkpu line from the DMZ to Chejin . The reconstruction work on these two lines was begun on 14 June 2003. The idea of reopening of inter-Korean railway [ fr ] connections attracted attention from the world, especially from China and Russia, as it would enable the realisation of the long-desired Eurasian Land Bridge and Trans-Asian Railway projects. But in
5719-552: The DPRK in terms of quantity of freight moved for import and export, accounting for 59.1% of export cargo and 38.5% of import cargo volume in 1983, as not only freight to and from China was shipped via Sinŭiju, but also cargo to and from the Soviet Union and the socialist countries in Europe. Although much of the traffic with Europe has dried up since the collapse of communism in Europe and the shift of traffic to and from Russia to
5852-616: The DPRK on cross-border train service, and a Beijing-Pyongyang through-train service began on 3 June of that year, using China Railways rolling stock. The connection with the USSR across the Tumen River was first established during the Korean War in the form of a wooden railway bridge opened in 1952; by the mid-1950s this bridge had become insufficient for the traffic on the line, and the Korean-Russian Friendship Bridge between Tumangang and Khasan , USSR
5985-622: The Far Eastern Federal University in Khabarovsk, and to allow other North Korean railway experts to receive further education at Russian universities. The Koreas agreed to reconnect and modernize their road and railroad networks at the April 2018 inter-Korean summit . Inter-Korean teams inspected North Korean railroads from November 30 to December 17; the railroads were found to be in poor condition. The Gyeongui Line
6118-671: The Imjingak resort, is a park located on the banks of the Imjin River along the tracks of the former Gyeongui Train Line outside the city of Paju , South Korea . The park has many statues and monuments regarding the Korean War . There is also a restaurant, an observation deck, a pool in the shape of the Korean peninsula, and even a small amusement park. The park was built in 1972 to console those from both sides who are unable to return to their hometowns, friends and families because of
6251-722: The Japanese Americans joined together with Anglo Americans, African Americans, Latin Americans, and South Korean troops in integrated units. The Japanese American Korean War Veterans Association erected a monument recognizing their efforts on May 24, 1997, listing the names of 255 Japanese Americans who were killed in the Korean War. More than 300 people attended the official dedication ceremony in 2001, with 112 Japanese American Korean War veterans, their families, friends, various Korean federal, state and local government entities, U.S. government representatives, news media, and
6384-540: The Juche-class EMU was built for two-system operation - possibly with a view to future operation in South Korea, where AC electrification was used. Trials were carried out around P'yŏngyang, but no further sets were built, suggesting that the experiment was deemed a failure. The set remained in storage until 1998, when it was refurbished, repainted, and put into use on a daily commuter service for scientists between P'yŏngyang and Paesanjŏm , taking one hour to cover
6517-423: The Korean War nearly complete, great advances were being made under the Ch'ŏllima Movement , the North Korean equivalent of China's Great Leap Forward ; the efforts were both focussed on and aided by the railways. Development was also aided by the fact that, during the colonial era, most Japanese construction of heavy industry including machine manufacturing, as well as the bulk of railway development, took place in
6650-475: The Korean War. The South Korean Ministry of Defense built the US Forces monument to commemorate noble sacrifices and achievements of US troops, and remember the 37,000 Americans who died and the 8,100 MIAs and POWs who gave their all in defense of the Korean people. Built on October 3, 1975, triangular shaped sculptures symbolize the army, marines, air force, and the naval forces support for each other, and
6783-578: The Kyŏngŭi Line was divided at the 38th parallel, between Tosŏng and Sariwŏn . On 25 August 1945, the Soviet Army began operating trains on the Kyŏngŭi Line north of Sariwŏn, and on 10 August 1946 the Provisional People’s Committee for North Korea nationalised all railways in the Soviet -occupied part of Korea, creating the Korean State Railway , and on 9 September 1948 the Kyŏngŭi Line
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#17327755580436916-620: The Ministry of Railways of North Korea and has its headquarters at P'yŏngyang . The current Minister of Railways is Chang Jun-song. The first railways in the future territory of North Korea were built during the period of Japanese rule by the Chosen Government Railway ( Sentetsu ), the South Manchuria Railway ( Mantetsu ) and private companies such as the Chosen Railway ( Chōtetsu ). At
7049-503: The P'yŏngyang Electric Locomotive Works) on 30 August 1961, and Kim Il Sung visited the plant for the occasion and chose the locomotive's name personally. Serial production started in 1962, with twenty built that year, followed by another thirty in 1963; eventually, over 150 were built. Meanwhile, in order to modernise on non-electrified lines, Kukch'ŏl started ordering diesel locomotives to begin replacing steam power on these lines. The first step towards dieselisation came in 1964, with
7182-640: The P'yŏngŭi Line for visits to China, as he did not fly. For the original line's history and other information prior to 1945, see Gyeongui Line (1904–1945) . The Kyŏngŭi Line was originally opened by the Temporary Military Railway Office established by the Japanese Empire to aid in the movement of its forces during the Russo-Japanese War and to strengthen its influence over Korea . Freight service on
7315-420: The Red Cross reported that 1,850 houses and buildings had been destroyed and another 6,350 had been damaged. The basic restoration of the station was completed within a week, and DPRK–China international train service was reinstated on 28 April. Although the reconstruction work on the inter-Korean rail lines was nearly complete by March 2006, it wasn't until 17 May 2007, nearly seven years after negotiations on
7448-428: The Sinŭiju Industrial Zone, as well as Tŏkhyŏn (iron ore), Ryongamp'o (machinery manufacturing), Paengma (chemicals), Ryangch'aek ( petrochemicals , machinery), Kusŏng (machinery, textiles), Ch'ŏngsu (chemicals), Namhŭng (chemicals), Kaech'ŏn (coal) and Ch'ŏngnam (coal), thus being one of the DPRK's major economic arteries. It also plays a major role in foreign trade; Sinŭiju station is the most important railway station in
7581-400: The Soviet army began operating trains on the Kyŏngŭi Line north of Sariwŏn ; in the south the US Army Transportation Corps took control of the railways and restarted service on the Kyŏngŭi Line from Tosŏng (north of Kaesŏng ) to the south. In May 1946 crossing the 38th parallel without a permit became illegal, and on 9 August 1946 identification cards became necessary for rail travel in
7714-451: The Sŏhae Kammun and Pukpu Line projects were the largest railway construction projects that the DPRK undertook entirely on its own. As well as building new lines, several existing narrow gauge lines were converted to standard gauge, and by 1983, 927 km (576 mi) had been regauged. The electrification of the P'yŏngra Line was finally completed in the 1970s; the project had been started at Yangdŏk in 1948 and completed in stages over
7847-504: The U.S. Army 2nd Infantry Division commander, division band and personnel in attendance. Mangbaeddan is a memorial, which enables displaced people whose hometowns are located within North Korea to bow down to their parents or family in North Korea as a sign of respect during cultural events such as New Years and Chuseok (the Korean Mid Autumn Festival, which usually entails paying respect to your elders and ancestors). This memorial holds many sorrowful memories of separated families during
7980-401: The U.S. forces during the course of the Korean War. 2ID is still stationed in Korea where its current primary mission is the defense of South Korea with its 10,000 troops deployed in Korea accounting for about 35% of the United States Forces Korea personnel. The 2ID Memorial at Imjingak is dedicated to all the brave men of the 2ID who sacrificed their lives for Korea. The advance party of
8113-429: The US military during the Korean War with 20 Chamorro making the ultimate sacrifice. The Chamorros of Guam Memorial recognizes their sacrifice at Imjingak with an identical memorial located in Hagåtña, Guam . Much like World War II, many Japanese Americans joined their fellow countrymen and volunteered to serve in the Korean War. The Korean War would be the first time troops were no longer segregated by race, and
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#17327755580438246-409: The Yalu River; both this newer bridge and the original bridge were attacked repeatedly between November 1950 and February 1951 by US Air Force bombers, but were repeatedly repaired. After the end of the Korean War, the 1911 bridge was left destroyed, and only the newer bridge was repaired and returned to use. In 1990 the bridge was given its current name, Sino–Korean Friendship Bridge . The entirety of
8379-420: The amount of traffic transported by rail over an eleven-day period equalled that hauled in the entire year of 1946. Traffic control is by track warrant . In recent years, emphasis has been placed on moving away from railway to road transport for movements of 150 km (93 mi)–200 km (120 mi) or less, due to the greater cost effectiveness of road transport over short distances. Railways carry
8512-435: The area, as well as the Ch'ŏngch'ŏn'gang – Songdo – Kubongsan – Ryonghŭng Kubongsan Line , and in 1976, the Ch'ŏnghwaryŏk Line from Kubongsan to the Ch'ŏngch'ŏn River Thermal Power Plant and the Namhŭng Line from Songdo to Namhŭng to serve the Namhŭng Youth Chemical Complex ; both the power plant and the chemical complex were opened that year. To facilitate the construction of the Sŏhae Satellite Launching Station ,
8645-532: The arrival of fourteen DVM-4 -type locomotives from Ganz-MÁVAG of Hungary , which were used both for shunting and to pull local trains on branchlines. After this positive initial experience with diesel power, an order was placed for larger, more powerful locomotives suitable for use on heavy mainline trains. Made in the USSR to meet a Hungarian requirement, the first two prototypes of the M62-type locomotives appeared on Soviet Railways in 1964 before series production and deliveries to Hungary began in 1965; by
8778-478: The average length of the bridges is only 51 m (167 ft), the P'yŏngŭi Line nevertheless features the longest railway bridge in the DPRK - over 1,200 m (3,900 ft) in length. There are locomotive depots at P'yŏngyang, West P'yŏngyang, Chŏngju and Sinŭiju Ch'ŏngnyŏn stations, and two rolling stock maintenance facilities, one at P'yŏngyang, and one for passenger cars at Kangan station in Sinŭiju. Deceased North Korean leader Kim Jong-il used to travel on
8911-421: The conductor attempted to back the train back down to Munsan but was stopped by US troops who decided that rather than risk the train falling into North Korean hands, were ordered to destroy the train. The locomotive was a KNR Mateo1 Class . The rusted, bullet-riddled, and shell-riddled locomotive can be found in the park at Imjingak, near the destroyed Dokgae Railroad Bridge that crosses the Imjin River. In 2004
9044-485: The construction of various large-scale industrial and power-generation projects, and some, like the first section of Ch'ŏngnyŏn Ich'ŏn Line from P'yŏngsan to Chihari opened in 1962 as a fully electrified line, were the initial phases of planned new trunk lines. However, many others, though publicised as being entirely at the instigation of the Great Leader , were simply completions of projects initiated by Japanese interests before 1945. The much celebrated completion of
9177-408: The conversion of the existing narrow gauge Samjiyŏn Line to standard gauge, construction of new trackage from Motka, terminus of the Samjiyŏn Line, to Hŭngam on the Paengmu Line , and regauging of the Paengmu Line from Hŭngam to Musan . Although survey work for the new section was begun, the DPRK's financial crisis of the 1990s led to the project being suspended until 2007. The electrification of
9310-413: The development of a high-speed train for North Korea, resulting in the unveiling of North Korea's first electric trainset, the Juche-class EMU , in 1976. Externally, the four-car set was similar in appearance to the 181 series trainsets used by the Japanese National Railways on the Kodama limited express of the day; internally, despite all of North Korea's electrification being 3000V direct current ,
9443-413: The development of the railways were achieved. A great deal of attention was paid to developing urban transit in this period. After the success of the P'yŏngyang trolleybus system opened in 1962, trolleybus services were inaugurated in Ch'ŏngjin (1970), Hamhŭng (1973), Sinŭiju (1978), and Kowŏn (1979), Nampo (1982), P'yŏngsŏng (1983), Haeju (1986), Anju (1987), and others, along with the opening of
9576-785: The electrification of the trunk lines, construction of new routes was also started in this period. Many of these lines, such as the Unbong Line opened in 1959 to assist with construction of the Unbong Dam , the Pinallon Line opened in 1961 to serve the February 8 Vinylon Complex and the P'yŏngyanghwajŏn Line opened in the same year to serve the Pyongyang Thermal Power Plant [ ko ] were entirely new projects, initially built to aid with
9709-465: The end of the Pacific War , 2,879.3 km (1,789.1 mi) (2,466.1 km (1,532.4 mi) of standard gauge, and 413.2 km (256.8 mi) of 762 mm (30.0 in) narrow gauge) was Sentetsu owned, and 851.5 km (529.1 mi) (678.4 km (421.5 mi) of standard gauge and 173.1 km (107.6 mi) of narrow gauge) was privately owned. In September 1945 the rolling stock
9842-525: The end of the 1960s, nearly 900 km (560 mi) of lines had been electrified, and by 1973, when the electrification of the P'yŏngra Line was completed, over 1,300 km (810 mi) of lines had been electrified, realising the goal of electrifying all major trunk lines. Electrification of the lines was accompanied by the manufacture of electric locomotives. Domestic production of small electric locomotives for use in mines had begun in 1958, but production of mainline electric locomotives didn't start until
9975-540: The end of the year the war had become a stalemate; little exchange of territory happened over the next two years of fighting until the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed on 27 July 1953. North Korea was left devastated after the war, with damage being even more extensive than in the south. Factories, houses, bridges, roads, and railways were destroyed in heavy US Air Force bombing raids; Pyongyang's tram system had been completely destroyed, to
10108-473: The end of their service lives years before, Kukch'ŏl was nevertheless forced to rely once again on Japanese-built steam locomotives built before the Liberation of Korea. However, political reasons made it impossible to admit that the country, which only twenty years earlier had been self-sufficient in the production of rolling stock, was unable to supply much-needed new locomotives. Thus, the most decrepit of
10241-608: The entire network. After the electrification of part of the narrow gauge Paengmu Line was completed in August 1991, the Sinhŭng Line was electrified in 1992, as was a section of the Ongjin Line ; in the same year, a "Railway Modernisation Plan" to further promote development of railway infrastructure was announced. Plans to continue the construction of the Pukpu Line were kept alive; the next stage of this project envisioned
10374-735: The entirety of the line from Kyŏngsŏng to Sinŭiju started in April 1906, and on 1 September of that year, the Railway Office took over control of the Kyŏngŭi Line from the military and merged it with the Kyŏngbu Railway to create the National Railway Administration , which took over ownership and operation of the Kyŏngŭi Line. Following the end of the Pacific War and the subsequent partition of Korea ,
10507-516: The extent that salvaging it was deemed uneconomical and was abandoned. Reconstruction, however, started already before the end of the war and, with the aid of the Chinese People's Volunteer Corps, by the time the ceasefire was signed 1,382 km (859 mi) of railway lines had been restored. The north's transportation network was so severely damaged that in many places, the horse was the only viable means of transport; consequently, much of
10640-424: The first half of the decade, the situation had become so dire that in 1998 Kim Yong-sam, who had replaced Pak Yŏng-sŏk as Minister of Railways in September of that year, announced that due to the critical state of electricity generation in the country, electricity could not be guaranteed for the operation of trains, and consequently the use of steam locomotives would be reinstated on some lines. Despite having reached
10773-494: The first train carrying construction materials from Munsan in the South to the Kaesŏng Industrial Region , and footwear and clothing on the return trip to the South. This service, operated by Korail, has been interrupted several times as a result of political events between North and South that have caused the closure of the industrial district. The industrial district was most recently reopened on 16 September 2013 after
10906-499: The framework of a cooperation agreement made between Russia and North Korea in 2000, and is viewed as the first step in the reconstruction of a Trans-Korean mainline, which would allow the shipment of goods by rail all the way from South Korea to Europe. The project included restoring 18 bridges, 12 culverts and three tunnels with a combined length of more than 4.5 km, as well as laying 54 km of four-rail dual gauge (1,435 mm and 1,520 mm) track. A transfer terminal at
11039-449: The initial reconstruction efforts were focussed on rebuilding the railways - especially the lines connecting the DPRK to China and Russia, in order to ease the shipment of goods from those two countries. However, some new construction did take place, mostly to complete projects interrupted either by the end of Japanese rule or by the Korean War, such as the Tŏkp'al Line , which had been started by
11172-452: The line for 30 years, after which the Railway Ministry will take over operations and complete ownership of the line. The rail line is to be a double-track line of about 400 km (250 mi) with an operating speed of over 200 km/h (120 mph). 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
11305-563: The line is 11‰, and the minimum curve radius is 300 m (980 ft). The average distance between stations is 7.5 km (4.7 mi) The P'yŏngyang–Sŏgam section is under the jurisdiction of the P'yŏngyang Railway Bureau, while the Sŏgam–Sinŭiju section is under the Kaech'ŏn Railway Bureau. There are 177 bridges with a total length of 9,083 m (29,800 ft) and 5 tunnels with a total length of 2,383 m (7,818 ft). Although
11438-533: The line is not electrified. Korean State Railway The Korean State Railway ( Korean : 조선민주주의인민공화국 철도성 ; MR : Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk Ch'ŏldosŏng ; lit. Ministry of Railways of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea), commonly called the State Rail ( Korean : 국철 ; MR : Kukch'ŏl ), is the operating arm of
11571-412: The line suffered severe damage during the Korean War. After the end of the Korean War, with Soviet and Chinese assistance the line was quickly rebuilt and modernised. An agreement was signed between the DPRK and China on cross-border train service on 5 February 1954, and a Beijing –P'yŏngyang through-train service began, using China Railway rolling stock, on 3 June of the same year. In 1964, through
11704-595: The line was destroyed during the Korean War, and no further electric railcars were used after that for many years. However, the opening of the P'yŏngyang Metro, along with worldwide attention on high-speed electric trainsets such as the Japanese Bullet Train put into service in 1964 and the ER200 class introduced by the Soviet Railways in 1974, led the Railway Ministry to direct efforts towards
11837-502: The line, in recent years the average speeds of passenger trains on the line have fallen to around 40 km/h (25 mph). There are also various commuter trains on the line, such as between Sinŭiju and Ryongchŏn, and between Sinŭiju and Chŏngju, and to the Namhŭng Youth Chemical Complex. The following passenger trains are known to operate on this line: A yellow background in the "Distance" box indicates that section of
11970-438: The most important international passenger service in the DPRK, operate via Sinŭiju four times weekly (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday). Customs and immigration checks take place at Sinŭiju. The trip takes 22 hours 51 minutes from P'yŏngyang to Beijing, and 23 hours 18 minutes from Beijing to P'yŏngyang. Stops made in the DPRK are at P'yŏngyang, Ch'ŏngju Ch'ŏngnyŏn , Ch'ŏnggang and Sinŭiju Ch'ŏngnyŏn stations. The train
12103-513: The most important lines, such as the P'yŏngŭi Line to China. Although work was said to have begun that year, none of the planned double tracking projects has been completed yet. Despite all the lofty plans, between 1990 and 1996 only 67 km (42 mi) of new line was completed; the situation was little better in the second half of the Nineties, with 102 km (63 mi) of new line finished. On 8 July 1994, Kim Il Sung died, leading to
12236-672: The narrow gauge at 1.5 kV DC. Manual and semi-automatic substations are used, located 15 km (9.3 mi), 30 km (19 mi) or 60 km (37 mi) apart (50 km (31 mi)–60 km (37 mi) apart on the Kangwŏn Line ). North Korea's national transportation policy focusses on the railway as the primary means of transport for both passengers and freight. Passenger services include both long-distance trains, as well as commuter services for students and workers; freight transport focusses on industrial raw materials and military traffic, as well as import-export traffic. By putting heavy emphasis on rail transport of goods, by 1983
12369-604: The national railway system continued as well. New trunk lines were opened, such as the completion of the Ch'ŏngnyŏn Ich'ŏn Line on 10 October 1972, the completion of the Ch'ŏngnyŏn P'arwŏn Line , and the opening of shorter lines intended to serve new mines, power plants and factories, such as the Musan Kwangsan Line (1971), the Ch'ŏnghwaryŏk Line and the Namhŭng Line in 1976, the Sŏhae Kammun Line over
12502-404: The new northern east–west trunk line originally planned in 1980, which was to have run from Hyesan to Musan , was finally partially completed in 2017, when the regauging of the narrow gauge Samjiyŏn Line from Hyesan to Samjiyŏn and Motka was finally finished. The plans to continue extension of that line to Musan and eventually to Hoeryŏng have not been abandoned, but it does not appear that it
12635-411: The north of the country; the DPRK was also blessed with an abundance of natural resources and a number of large hydroelectric power plants that had also been built by the Japanese. Much of the work done on the railways in this period was focussed on the electrification of trunk lines. Due to the increased importance placed on the railways, by 1965 Kukch'ŏl was transferred from the Ministry of Transport to
12768-522: The northern part of Korea. On 10 August 1946 the Provisional People’s Committee for North Korea nationalised all railways in the Soviet occupation zone; everything related to railway operations came under the aegis of the People's Committee for Transportation. The railways were nearly paralysed by a lack of experienced staff as a result of the expulsion of ethnic Japanese - most railway workers, especially
12901-429: The port is nearing completion, along with dredging and construction of a quay, storage areas, industrial and office buildings. A single control centre will manage future operations on the line, which will be capable of handling up to 4 million tonnes of cargo per year from the port. Operation and management of the upgraded line, which cost over 5.5 billion rubles (excluding the cost of the port upgrades), will be handled by
13034-481: The privately owned West Chosen Central Railway in the early 1940s, to run from Tŏkch'ŏn to P'arwŏn , but of which only 12.3 km (7.6 mi) to Changsangri had been completed by war's end; the project was revived after the Korean War and finished to P'arwŏn in 1954. Within three months of the armistice, 308 bridges with a total length of 15,000 m (49,000 ft) were either repaired or newly built by railway corps volunteers, and 37 stations were rebuilt as
13167-429: The products of the factories is also undertaken by the national quality inspection board. The Railway Ministry also operates a network of sports clubs throughout the country, in sports such as football , basketball , volleyball , tennis , and ice hockey . The Kigwancha Sports Club belongs to the Railway Ministry, which fields teams in the country's top-level basketball, volleyball, and football leagues; in football,
13300-572: The railway factories at West P'yŏngyang (today's Kim Chong-t'ae Electric Locomotive Works ; it received its present name in 1969 to honour South Korean revolutionary activist Kim Chong-t'ae , a member of the Revolutionary Party for Reunification , who was executed by the South Korean government that year. ) and at Wŏnsan (the 4 June Rolling Stock Works ) were rebuilt and expanded with Polish assistance. The locomotive factory
13433-420: The railway infrastructure and many of the locomotives were destroyed. On 31 December 1950, a train, consisting of the locomotive Matei 10 and 25 cars, going from Hanp'o to Munsan was ordered to stop at Changdan by the US Army , and was destroyed; the track was also destroyed, after which the Kyŏngŭi Line remained severed for over 50 years. UN forces were quickly pushed back south of the 38th parallel, and by
13566-471: The railway network was gradually restored to its pre-war status. Although the USSR did not militarily intervene in the Korean War due to fear of criticism from the United Nations (UN), it played a major and active role in post-war reconstruction. Within the context of an economic and technical assistance agreement worth 1 billion rubles signed between the two countries a railway co-operation agreement
13699-520: The railways were rebuilt and further expanded. A replacement railway bridge was opened over the Taedong River in P'yŏngyang on 17 June 1954, and three months later, on 25 September 1954 the Kangwŏn Line was reopened between Kosan and P'yŏnggang . The Yalu River Bridge between Sinŭiju and Dandong , China, which had been severely damaged during the war, was rebuilt before war's end. On 5 February 1954, an agreement signed between China and
13832-505: The raising of prices - a bus ticket that had cost 20 chŏn suddenly increased twentyfold to 1 wŏn ; this applied to the railways, too: a ticket from P'yŏngyang to Ch'ŏngjin, which had cost 16 wŏn, went up 37 times, to 590 wŏn. Around the same time, some new locomotives were bought from China, and many second-hand locomotives and freight and passenger cars were bought, mostly from China, but also from Russia, Slovakia , Poland, Germany, and even Switzerland, were brought in to help ameliorate
13965-417: The same time, war aid in the form of locomotives and freight cars arrived from friendly socialist countries such as the USSR, China , Poland , Hungary , and Czechoslovakia . American-led United Nations forces quickly turned the tide of the war, however; by 19 October of the same year had captured P'yŏngyang, and a week later, South Korean troops reached the Yalu River . Throughout the Korean War, much of
14098-542: The shadow of such lofty visions, North Korea's railways remained in critical condition; to counter this, the government announced the "7.1 Economic Management Improvement Measures" on 1 July 2002, under which a number of reforms like those China had implemented in the 1980s were introduced, such as giving companies more independence, the establishment of joint ventures with foreign investors (mostly Chinese, but also some South Korean), bringing foreign exchange rates closer to reality, increasing wages, etc. However, it also included
14231-405: The situation on North Korea's railways. Money was also invested in the reconstruction of railway stations - a completely new station was built at Kaesŏng with South Korean money, whilst P'yŏngyang's central railway station underwent a major renovation in 2005, which included the restoration of walls, the installation of new waiting room doors, and the installation of a large neon sign. 2004 saw
14364-427: The situation. Naturally, this seriously affected the railways as well, leading to severe deterioration of rolling stock and infrastructure, which significantly reduced operational capacity and efficiency, and made timetable operations practically impossible. Through the 1990s, investment in rolling stock came to a standstill as well. Although a small number of newly built diesel locomotives were imported from Russia in
14497-454: The skilled labourers, the locomotive crews, mechanics, engineers, and administrators, were Japanese; to make the situation worse, the Soviet Army plundered a great deal of industrial equipment from northern Korea - factory machines, components for hydroelectric dams, and a large number of locomotives and rolling stock. Passengers resorted to riding on the infrequent freight trains, and even on locomotives. The Korean State Railway ( Kukch'ŏl )
14630-521: The slogan "자력 갱생" ( Charyŏk Kaengsaeng , "Self-Reliance"), declared that everything - economy, scientific advance, and development of industrial technology - should be made entirely domestically. Though a considerable amount was achieved through domestic effort, a fair amount of the advances that were made came from foreign sources and were simply relabelled as North Korean. The 1970s and 1980s can be considered as having been North Korea's "golden age", and though it did not last long, considerable successes in
14763-524: The start of the 1980s, the total length of electrified standard gauge rail lines in North Korea reaching 3,940 km (2,450 mi); additionally, trackage within many industrial complexes was also electrified. As electrification had become a national-level policy, Kukch'ŏl set out to develop new electric motive power. Electric railcars had been used before the war by the Kŭmgangsan Electric Railway , and these were used by Kukch'ŏl until
14896-489: The stone in the center symbolizes that all ROK citizens preserve the spirit of those who gave their lives in the war. The last train to cross the border between North and South Korea, a military transport delivering supplies to UN forces following MacArthur's inland push in 1950, became stuck at Hanpo Station in Hwanghe-do in what is now North Korea on December 31, 1950 due to Chinese troops ahead. Unable to turn around,
15029-439: The subject began between North and South, that they were finally reopened. An agreement on cross-border operations had been made between Kukch'ŏl and Korail already in April 2004, but three subsequent attempts to run trains failed, until finally the military authorities on both sides adopted a security agreement on 11 May 2007, allowing the reopening of the lines on 17 May. The reopening consisted of two ceremonial trains, one over
15162-662: The time Kukch'ŏl received their first deliveries of the type - designated K62-class by the factory - in 1967, the M62 had become the backbone of diesel power all over the Comecon world: in addition to Hungary, in 1965 and 1966 the type was put in service in large numbers in Poland, Czechoslovakia, and East Germany . A total of 64 were delivered to North Korea between 1967 and 1974, quickly becoming mainstays on non-electrified lines due to their high performance and ease of use. Along with
15295-616: The top men's club, based in Sinŭiju , won five national championships between 1996 and 2000 in the DPR Korea League , and took part in the 2017 AFC Cup . The Railway Ministry's top ice hockey club, P'yŏngyang Ch'ŏldo , or "P'yŏngch'ŏl" for short, is one of the most successful clubs in the country, having won the national championship at least eleven times since 1997. The Korean State Railway operates over 5,248 km (3,261 mi) of railway, of which 4,725 km (2,936 mi)
15428-460: The western line from Munsan to Kaesŏng (27 km (17 mi)), and another over the eastern line from Kŭmgangsan to Jejin. The western train was operated from south to north by a Korail locomotive and five coaches, while the eastern train was pulled by a Korean State Railway locomotive and five coaches; each train carried 150 invited guests from the South and the North. Commercial freight operations were finally restarted on 11 December 2007, with
15561-516: The worst known railway disaster in North Korea when an explosion at the station in Ryongch'ŏn destroyed buildings in a large swathe around the city's station , killing 54 and injuring 1,245 people in the blast itself and the subsequent fires, according to official casualty reports. A wide area was reported to have been affected, with some airborne debris reportedly falling across the border in China;
15694-524: The years following the Korean War, until the final section between Rajin and Ch'ŏngjin was energised in 1973. With the electrification of the P'yŏngŭi Line in 1964 and the completion of the P'yŏngra Line project, both of the main trunk lines connecting P'yŏngyang with China and the USSR respectively, became fully electrified. By the end of the 1970s, the goal of eliminating steam power from the primary trunk lines had been achieved, with nearly 87.5% of all railway movements being hauled by electric locomotives by
15827-433: Was 678 locomotives (124 steam tank , 446 tender , 99 narrow gauge steam, and 8 electric locomotives), one steam-powered railway crane , 29 powered railcars , 747 passenger cars, and 6,928 freight cars. The official division of Korea into Soviet and American zones of occupation along the 38th parallel in August 1945 disrupted train service on the (former) Kyŏngwŏn and Kyŏngŭi Lines . However, as early as 26 August,
15960-646: Was completed in 1956, and Kim Il Sung visited the reconstruction works in June of that year. Conversion of the Hasŏng—Haeju—Haeju Port section to standard gauge took place in 1958. Work was carried out by youth "volunteer" teams, who finished the project on 12 August 1958 – 75 days after work began. In honour of the efforts of the youth volunteer teams, the Sariwŏn—Haeju line was given its current name, Hwanghae Ch'ŏngnyŏn Line – Hwanghae Youth Line. In 1956,
16093-582: Was completed, and at the same time the track was upgraded with heavy rail , and 68% of the sleepers were replaced with concrete sleepers. Semi-automatic train control was also installed, with the line divided into two sections, P'yŏngyang–Kalli and Kalli–Sinŭiju. The 1970s saw the opening of new branchlines connecting to the P'yŏngŭi Line mainline - the Sŏhae Line (also known as the Anju Colliery Line) from Mundŏk to Namdong to serve coal mines in
16226-475: Was controlled by the South Korean Army ), and the only direct link to Camp Greaves , Liberty Bell, and Panmunjom . This is not to be confused with the "bridge of freedom" which is merely an access bridge to the main span that allowed the one-way southbound traffic to pass by while northbound traffic stood waiting its turn to cross; it now crosses a stream adjacent to the Imjin river and connects with
16359-865: Was created as a department of the Ministry of Transportation in 1948 after the founding of North Korea. Initially, Kukch'ŏl had 3,767 km (2,341 mi) of functional railway, including the restored electrified Yangdŏk – Sinch'ang – Ch'ŏnsŏng section of the P'yŏngwŏn Line , and the newly electrified Kaego – Koin section of the Manp'o Line . On 10 December 1947, the assets of the Chosen Government Railway were formally divided between North and South, leaving Kukch'ŏl with 617 steam locomotives (141 tank , 476 tender ), 8 electric locomotives, and 1,280 passenger cars and 9,154 freight cars (747 and 6,928 respectively according to other sources ). Other new construction took place prior to 1950, but
16492-596: Was inspected from November 30 to December 5, and the Kumgangsan Chongnyon Line from December 8 to 17. The inspections could only proceed after the UN granted exemptions to sanctions at the end of November; American approval followed on December 21. A groundbreaking ceremony for the railroad and road project was held in Kaesŏng on December 26 with each country sending 100 attendees. The Korean State Railway
16625-597: Was opened on 9 August 1959. North Korea had inherited a fairly extensive network of 762 mm (30.0 in) narrow-gauge rail lines from both Sentetsu and formerly privately owned railways. One of these was the Hwanghae Line running from Hasŏng to Haeju . After nationalising the Chosen Railway 's narrow-gauge lines in the Hwanghae region in April 1944, Sentetsu had decided that traffic levels between Sariwŏn and Hasŏng were sufficient to merit construction of
16758-555: Was removed from the position and handed over to the State Security Department. He was then replaced by the current Railways Minister, Chon Kil-su, in October 2008. The investigation revealed that railway workers had stripped nearly 100 locomotives held in strategic reserve for wartime use, selling them to China as scrap metal; as the minister responsible, Kim was held accountable and was removed from his post, and
16891-524: Was reopened on 29 August 1959, while the 4 June Works, manufacturing freight cars as well as repairing steam locomotives and busses, became operational on 15 June 1957. The station building of P'yŏngyang Station , which had been made mostly of wood and had been destroyed during the Korean War, was also rebuilt, with the grandiose stone station building in use today, with a total area of 13,000 m (140,000 sq ft) being opened in 1957. To train new generations of railway engineers and railway workers,
17024-505: Was reported as new domestic production: the tram system opened in Ch'ŏngjin in 2002 was announced as using domestically built tram cars (they were in fact bought second-hand from the Czech Republic ), and the used passenger cars bought from BLS Lötschbergbahn of Switzerland in the same year were reported as having been built by factory workers in their free time. From 1998, measures to improve economic management and to build
17157-532: Was reportedly executed in March 2009. Also in 2008, work began on the reconstruction of the line between Tumangang Station on the DPRK- Russian border and the port of Rajin , where construction was planned for a new container terminal to handle freight traffic from Asia Pacific countries to Europe, which would cut down considerably on transit time when compared to shipping by sea. This project fits within
17290-509: Was signed between the two countries on 5 February 1954, and regular operation of Beijing –P'yŏngyang through trains began four months later, on 3 June, using China Railway rolling stock. In 1983 the Korean State Railway began operation of P'yŏngyang–Beijing trains as well, using its own rolling stock, and since then Kukch'ŏl and China Railway each operate two weekly round trips between the two capitals. These trains, by far
17423-505: Was signed, which included a promise to deliver VL19 class electric locomotives to North Korea. China provided 800 million RMB worth of assistance, along with considerable aid from socialist countries in Eastern Europe, especially Poland: between 1954 and 1956, Polish Railway engineers and mechanics assisted in North Korea with the repair of damaged steam locomotives and rolling stock. With extensive Soviet and Chinese assistance,
17556-429: Was split, with the P'yŏngyang–Sinŭiju section becoming the P'yŏngŭi Line (from the names of the two termini, P'yŏng yang and Sin ŭi ju), and the P'yŏngyang–Kaesŏng–DMZ section becoming the P'yŏngbu Line (from P'yŏng yang and the theoretical southern terminus of the line, Pu san). Despite the partition, trains continued to operate along the Kyŏngŭi Line until the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950. On 31 December 1950,
17689-401: Was unveiled in 1981, production began in 1986 and it was put into service in 1987. In technical terms, they were essentially just two permanently-coupled Red Flag 2-class locomotives, representing little innovation over the original design. Thus, though at a slow pace, development of North Korea's railways continued. Entering the 1990s, Kukch'ŏl continued with its plans for electrification of
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