57-733: The Yeongdong Line is a line of Korail . It connects Yeongju in North Gyeongsang Province with Gangneung in Gangwon Province. From Yeongju, it crosses the Taebaek Mountains and reaches the Sea of Japan (East Sea) at Donghae , thence proceeding north to Gangneung. At Yeongju, the line connects with the Gyeongbuk and Jungang Lines . Some trains travel directly from one to the other, so that it
114-479: A branch line from Yeongju to Chunyang for the exploitation of the forest areas and mines in the area, the Yeongchun Line. Permission to build the line was given to the privately owned Chosen Railway on 16 October 1944, and work began that year with local forced labourers. Although the first section from Yeongju to Naeseong (today Bonghwa) was almost complete by August 1945, that month World War II ended,
171-521: A 10.7 km (6.6 mi) branch from Jeongsan to Gohan opened as the Gohan Line, which would also become part of the future Taebaek Line. The Jeongseon Line was completed to Jeongseon on January 20, 1967; this section and its later extensions form the present-day Jeongseon Line. The 15.0 km (9.3 mi) long gap between the Gohan and Hwangji branch lines was plugged on October 16, 1973, when
228-467: A 19.6 km (12.2 mi) new alignment between the two stations with a budget of 510.322 billion won. The main part of the section is the 16,240 m (53,281 ft) Solan Tunnel, which includes a spiral . The tunnel was opened on 27 June 2012. At the time of thawing relations between South and North Korea, when the cross-border section of the Donghae Bukbu Line was reopened in 2007,
285-637: A Korean provisional government formed, and a flood damaged the tracks, leading to the abandonment of the line. After the nationalisation of the line work resumed in 1949, when the Economic Cooperation Administration , the United States government agency administering the Marshall Plan , also launched a plan to revive South Korea's economy, which included the construction of new railway lines. One new line under
342-637: A South Korean train carrying railroad inspectors entered North Korea. A Trans-Korean Main Line , spanning North Korea and connecting to Russian Railways , is being planned. On 30 November 2018, 30 officials from North and South Korea began an 18-day survey in both Koreas to connect the Korean railroads. The survey, which had previously been obstructed by the Korean Demilitarized Zone's (DMZ) "frontline" guard posts and landmines located at
399-531: A strategic plan to reduce travel times from Seoul to 95% of the country to under 2 hours by 2020. Under the plan, the east coast line, including the section of the Yeongdong Line from Donghae to Gangneung and the Samcheok Line, would be upgraded for 230 km/h (143 mph), and may see KTX service. In passenger traffic, the Yeongdong Line is served by Mugunghwa-ho cross-country trains. In
456-529: A three-day survey 100-km-long section on the eastern Donghae Line. On 24 December 2018, the four-day road survey, which will assist with the groundbreaking ceremony for the railroad, was completed after a separate team of ten South Korean surveyors entered North Korea and joined ten North Korean surveyors to survey a 4-km-long road in Kaesong. On 26 December 2018, the groundbreaking ceremony was held as scheduled in Kaesong. About 100 South Korean officials attended
513-684: Is a public corporation , managed by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation . KORAIL operates intercity/regional, commuter/metro and freight trains throughout South Korea, and has its headquarters in Daejeon . Historically, the South Korean railway network was managed by the Railroad Administration Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation before 1963. On 1 September 1963, the bureau became an agency that
570-485: Is also carries significant freight transport. The line was originally built primarily to serve coal mines along it, but coal transport declined in the nineties when the government rationalised the coal industry and closed down mines in the region. In the 2000s, cement transport from Ssangyong brings significant freight traffic to the line. July 22, 2014, two passenger trains collided head-on between Taebaek and Mungok stations, killing one person and injuring 92 others. It
627-678: Is currently the highest class of KORAIL services. KTX services are provided on the Gyeongbu HSR and Honam HSR , as well as their branches such as Gyeongjeon Line , Donghae Line , or Jeolla Line . ITX (Intercity Train eXpress) are a group of intercity services. The first ITX service was introduced in 2012, which was named ITX-Cheongchun (ITX-청춘) on Gyeongchun Line . Before the introduction of ITX services, intercity trains were named Saemaul-ho ( 새마을호 ), which borrowed its name from New Community Movement . Later, Saemaul-ho services are merged into ITX as ITX-Saemaeul (ITX-새마을). Currently,
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#1732772140425684-719: Is frequently at odds with KORAIL management. Strikes , such as the South Korean railroad strike of 2006 , are not uncommon. In December 2013, 23,000–100,000 union members and friends protested the privatization of KORAIL in Seoul. Until the division of Korea following the end of the Second World War , the Gyeongui Line and Gyeongwon Line extended into what is now North Korea . The Gyeongui Line connected Seoul to Kaesong , Pyongyang , and Sinuiju on
741-462: Is possible to travel directly from Seoul or Busan to Gangneung by rail. The first 41.4 km (25.7 mi) section of the line (Mukho Port–Dogye) was opened by the privately owned Samcheok Railway on 31 July 1940. The line was named Cheoram Line , which ran from Mukho , a port on Korea's east coast that became part of Donghae in 1980, to Cheoram in the Taebaek Mountains , to develop three coal fields. Between Simpo-ri and Tong-ri stations,
798-652: The Donghae Bukbu Line . On 17 May 2007, two test trains ran on the reconnected lines: one on the west line from Munsan to Kaesong ; the second on the east from Jejin to Kumgang . In December 2007, regular freight service started on the Gyeongui line, from South Korea into the Kaesong Industrial Park in the north. The service has been underutilized, however: as it was reported in October 2008, on 150 out of 163 return trips that had been done so far,
855-601: The Gyeongbuk Line and the Gimcheon –Busan section of the Gyeongbu Line , with Busan–Gangneung travel times of 8 hours 25 minutes toward Gangneung and 8 hours 30 minutes in the opposite direction. A further pair of daily trains runs only between Yeongju and Donghae. The Dongbaeksan–Gangneung section of the Yeongdong Line sees more frequent passenger traffic, with Mugunghwa trains from the capital Seoul reaching
912-610: The Marshall Plan , also launched a plan to revive South Korea's economy, which included the construction of new railway lines. One new line under the plan was a 60.4 km (37.5 mi) line from Jecheon to the coal mines around Yeongwol and Hambaek to the east. Construction started in August 1949, but was interrupted by the Korean War in 1950, work resumed in October 1952. The Jecheon– Yeongwol section, with an original length of 38.1 km (23.7 mi), went into service as
969-642: The "Jeongseon 5-Day Market Train", to transport passengers to and from the Jeongseon 5-Day Market. In 1998, Korean National Railroad (today Korail) introduced special tourist trains operating in the winter months, identified by a snowflake decoration, which enjoyed great popularity. Most of these trains also traverse the Taebaek Line. By the 2009/2010 season, the offer expanded to a dozen different tour packages, including trips to single destinations combined with local excursions, as well as round trips in
1026-432: The 87.0 km long section from the junction to Yeongju followed, and electrification was completed with the 45.1 km long Donghae–Gangneung section on September 8, 2005. The steep descent from Dongbaeksan to Dogye contains switchbacks , which hinder smooth traffic. In addition, a 1996 investigation found that the section is endangered by soil subsistence and the ageing of tunnels. To solve these problems, Korail built
1083-649: The Chinese border, while the Gyeongwon Line served Wonsan on the east coast. Another line—the Kumgangsan Electric Railway —connected the town of Cheorwon , now on the border of North and South Korea , on the Gyeongwon Line , to Mt. Geumgang , now in the North . The Gyeongui Line is one of two lines whose southern and northern halves are now being reconnected, the other line being
1140-568: The DMZ's Arrowhead Hill, consists of a 400-kilometer (250 mi)-long railroad section between Kaesong and Sinuiju that cuts through the North's central region and northeastern coast. The railway survey, which involved the inspection of the Gyeongui Line , concluded on 5 December 2018. On 8 December 2018, an inter-Korean survey began in both Koreas for the Donghae Line . On 13 December 2018, it
1197-460: The Jeongsan–Gohan section, then called the Gohan Line, on June 9, 1972. Regular electric service started on the 80.1 km (49.8 mi) long Jecheon–Gohan section on June 20, 1974. The rest of the line was electrified together with the section of the connecting Yeongdong Line until Donghae on the east coast, altogether 85.5 km (53.1 mi), on December 5, 1975. At the same time,
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#17327721404251254-670: The Jungang Line to connect to the Yeongdong Line, with Dongdaegu–Gangneung travel times between 6 hours 16 minutes and 6 hours 39 minutes. The third pair of daily trains runs between Gangneung and Bujeon station in Busan , also traversing parts of the Jungang and Donghae Nambu Lines , with Bujeon–Gangneung travel times of 8 hours 24 minutes toward Gangneung and 8 hours 34 minutes in the opposite direction. The pair of weekend trains runs between Gangneung and Busan station , also traversing
1311-610: The South Korean government considered the construction of a railway for freight traffic all along the east coast to the North Korean border. This line would incorporate the Donghae–Gangneung section of the Yeongdong Line and the Samcheok branch, and connect to newly built lines at Samcheok and Gangneung. Three years later, the project re-surfaced as a domestic project. On September 1, 2010, the South Korean government announced
1368-472: The Taebaek Line connects to the Jungang Line and Yeongdong Line . The line was originally two spur lines, which were built across difficult mountainous terrain in stages, before a connection was built. The line includes the steepest section of the South Korean network, a short parallel line that is operated as a second track on the section includes South Korea's longest spiral tunnel . The centerpiece of
1425-432: The Taebaek Line is operated by Mugunghwa-ho . According to the timetable, which is effective from Sept. 26, 2024, it will run about five round trips along the entire route from Monday to Sunday, with travel time ranging from 1 hour 42 minutes to 1 hour 44 minutes depending on the number of stops. Only four round trips will reach the Taebaek Line by connecting Cheongnyangni Station in the capital Seoul with Donghae Station on
1482-560: The Taebaek Mountains along the Jungang, Taebaek, Jeongseon and Yeongdong Lines. According to Korail's plans in 2009, travel times on the Taebaek Line are to be reduced after 2013 with the future series version of the Tilting Train Express . However, the deployment of the Tilting Train Express was canceled, and from September 1, 2023, a new train called ITX-MAUM was replaced by a one-way round trip. The line
1539-714: The Taebaek Triangle Line, a 0.8 km (0.50 mi) connection built for trains from Jecheon to Donghae to run without reversal at Baeksan, was also put in service. To improve traffic on the steep climb from Yemi to Jodong, the Hambaek Line was extended to Jodong to provide a second track. The altitude difference was mastered with a spiral tunnel, the Hambaek 1 Tunnel, which was South Korea's longest spiral tunnel at 2,450 m (8,038 ft). The altogether 4.2 km (2.6 mi) long Hambaek–Jodok link
1596-527: The Yeongdong Line are to be reduced after 2013 with the future series version of the Tilting Train Express . Korail The Korea Railroad Corporation ( Korean : 한국철도공사 ; Hanja : 韓國鐵道公社 ) is the national railway operator in South Korea . It is branded as KORAIL ( 코레일 ) and changed its official Korean name ( 한국철도 ; 韓國鐵道 ) in November 2019. Currently, KORAIL
1653-546: The Yeongwol Line on December 30, 1955. On March 9, 1957, the line was extended by 22.6 km (14.0 mi) to Hambaek, and was renamed the Hambaek Line. Following the 1961 coup, the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction started South Korea's first five-year plan , which included a construction program to complete the railway network, to foster economic growth. One of the first lines completed under
1710-653: The ceremony after departing to North Korea on a Korail train based at Dorasan Station in Palu. JR Kyushu offers a jet foil ferry service between Busan and Fukuoka taking about 3 hours. KORAIL and JR West had a joint rail pass (called 한일공동승차권 ) which included discounted KTX and Shinkansen tickets and Busan - Shimonoseki / Fukuoka ferry tickets, but the pass was discontinued due to low ridership. There are no railway connections between both countries. The Korean Strait undersea tunnel connecting Fukuoka and Busan via Tsushima had been proposed as far back as 1917, but
1767-492: The east coast of Korea. The Cheongnyangni-Taebaek travel time ranges from 3 hours 16 minutes to 3 hours 42 minutes depending on the number of stops. The Jecheon–Mindungsan section is also served by two pairs of daily trains running between Jecheon and Auraji on the Jeongseon Line. On every 2nd, 7th, 12th, 17th, 22nd and 27th day of the month, one of these train pairs is extended to run between Cheongnyangni and Auraji as
Yeongdong Line - Misplaced Pages Continue
1824-530: The eastern coast from Mukho to Gyeongpo-dong in Gangneung , the endpoint of a narrow-gauge railway to Sokcho , was opened until 1962 as follows: This line was also called the Donghae Bukbu Line with view to a planned connection with the existing line by the same name further north. On May 17, 1963, the Yeongam, Cheoram and Gangwon Bukbu Lines were integrated into a single line from Yeongju to Gangneung under
1881-412: The end of the war work was resumed in 1953, and the last section finally opened in 1955. The scenic Yeongam Line included 55 bridges and 33 tunnels: Following the 1961 coup, the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction started South Korea's first five-year plan , which included a construction program to complete the railway network, to foster economic growth. The Gangwon Bukbu Line, a railway along
1938-599: The entire railway from Jecheon to the junction with the Yeongdong Line at Baeksan was renamed the Taebaek Line. The centerpiece of the last section was the 4,505 m (14,780 ft) long Jeongam Tunnel, which was the longest in South Korea before the opening of longer tunnels on the Jeolla Line and the Gyeongbu High Speed Railway , and Chujeon Station at the eastern end of the tunnel is
1995-552: The fare systems of these services are separate from other services operated by Korail; such services are integrated with subway fare systems, allowing free transfers between Korail-operated lines and local metro lines. KORAIL has a number of tourist or sightseeing trains, including the Sea Train , DMZ Train , V-Train , S-Train , A-Train , and G-Train . Korail offers a rail pass called Korea Rail Pass , or KR Pass for short, to foreign travelers, such that they can take most of
2052-464: The great height difference was scaled by a steep double-track railway. Freight railcars going up and down were connected to the same cable, passengers had to walk up the mountain. A 12.9 km (8.0 mi) branch from Bukpyeong station (today Donghae station ) to Samcheok , the Samcheok Line , was opened on 11 February 11. Another section of the future Yeongdong Line was first projected as
2109-473: The groundbreaking ceremony emerged after it was revealed that the North Korean railway was in poor condition. On 21 December 2018, however, the United States agreed to no longer obstruct plans by both Koreas to hold a groundbreaking ceremony. The same day, a four-day inter-Korean road survey began when ten working-level South Korean surveyors entered North Korea to work with ten North Korean surveyors on
2166-584: The introduction of KTX, it was degraded into regional services. Currently, Nuriro services are provided by only EMU trains (class 20). KORAIL has a plan of introducing Nuriro with the newly ordered EMU-150. Named as metro services ( 전동열차 ), these services are provided in the Seoul Metropolitan Area and the Busan Metropolitan Area . Sometimes it is considered as a successor of Bidulgi-ho ( 비둘기호 ) class trains. Officially,
2223-589: The last decade, with the exception of 2015. In 2021 alone, the deficit was 1.1081 trillion won. As of the end of 2021, the cumulative deficit is 18.66 trillion won. Rail fares have been frozen since they were raised by 4.9% in 2011. In the 2021 public institution management evaluation, KORAIL was given the lowest grade of E (extremely unsatisfactory). Excluding the other high-speed service provider, SR, South Korean high-speed and intercity services are provided by KORAIL. Currently, KORAIL provides 5 classes of railway and metro services. KTX (Korea Train eXpress)
2280-425: The last-built section west of Taebaek, is a tunnel that was the longest in South Korea at the time of its construction, and Chujeon Station at the eastern end of the tunnel is the highest altitude in South Korea at 855 m (2,805 ft). In passenger traffic, the line is served by cross-country passenger trains connecting the capital Seoul with Korea's east coast. In freight traffic, while coal transport declined,
2337-487: The line carries significant cement transport. In the winter, regular special trains take tourists along the scenic route. This line was originally planned by the privately owned Chosen Railway as an extension of its Chungbuk Line ; however, the end of Japanese rule in Korea led to this plan being abandoned for many years. In 1949, the Economic Cooperation Administration , the United States government agency administering
Yeongdong Line - Misplaced Pages Continue
2394-452: The line via the connecting Taebaek Line. In the timetable valid from December 15, 2010, six pairs of daily trains run between Cheongnyangni station in Seoul and Gangneung, reinforced by a seventh pair on Fridays to Sundays, with Cheongnyangni–Gangneung travel times between 5 hours 47 minutes and 6 hours 25 minutes, depending on the number of stops. In 1998, Korean National Railroad (today Korail) introduced special tourist trains operating in
2451-462: The mountains around Hambaek to Jeongsan (renamed Mindungsan in 2009), which would later become part of the Taebaek Line, was completed on December 19, 1966, and the entire railway from Jecheon to Jeongseon was renamed the Jeongseon Line, with the short Yemi–Hambaek branch retaining the Hambaek Line name. A 1,147 m (3,763 ft) long track section on the climb after Yemi is the steepest on South Korea's network at 30.3‰. Also on December 19, 1966,
2508-419: The one on the highest altitude in South Korea at 855 m (2,805 ft) above the sea. The line was among the first foreseen for electrification with the 25 kV/60 Hz system in South Korea. Works started in 1972, already before the Taebaek Line was completed and officially renamed. The first trial run under the new voltage system in South Korea was conducted with a Class 8000 electric locomotive on
2565-481: The plan has never progressed beyond the research phase. While the increased wealth of South Korea and continued growth of trade between the nations has made the economic case for the tunnel more compelling, promotion has focused more on using the project to reduce political tension between the nations. Taebaek Line Taebaek Line is a single-track electrified railway mainline connecting Jecheon station to Baeksan station in South Korea. At its two ends,
2622-581: The plan was the 86.4 km (53.7 mi) long Yeongam Line from Yeongju to Cheoram, which included and extended the Yeongchun Line alignment planned by the Chosen Railway to link up the Cheoram Line with the rest of the network. The reconstructed 14.1 km (8.8 mi) from Yeongju to Naeseong opened in March 1950. Construction was interrupted again because of the Korean War in 1950. After
2679-560: The plan was the Hwangji Branchline, which would later become the eastern end of the Taebaek Line. The 9.0 km (5.6 mi) long spur from Baeksan on the Cheoram Line (today the Yeongdong Line ) to Hwangji (renamed Taebaek in 1984) opened on December 20, 1962. Another project under the five-year plan was a 41.6 km (25.8 mi) railway between Yemi on the Hambaek Line and Jeongseon . The section climbing
2736-436: The present name as the Yeongdong Line. Meanwhile, from August 1961, the 8.5 km (5.3 mi) Hwangji switchback section was built to bypass the cable-hauled section between Simpo-ri and Tong-ri stations, which opened on May 30, 1963. A number of branches were built from the line, among them the 9.0 km (5.6 mi) long Hwangji Branchline from Baeksan to Hwangji (today Taebaek ), which opened on December 20, 1962, and
2793-425: The remaining Saemaul-ho services are only operated on Janghang Line . In late 2023, another new ITX train equivalent to ITX-Saemaeul was introduced and named ITX-Maum . Mugunghwa-ho ( 무궁화호 ) and its planned successor Nuriro ( 누리로 ) services are regional train services of KORAIL. Mugunghwa-ho, inspired by its name from the national floral emblem hibiscus , was introduced as express service at first, but after
2850-522: The timetable valid from December 15, 2010, three pairs of daily trains run along the entire length of the line, reinforced by a seventh pair on Saturdays and Sundays, with Yeongju–Gangneung travel times between 3 hours 42 minutes and 3 hours 56 minutes, depending on the number of stops. Two pairs of the daily trains connect Gangneung and Dongdaegu Station in Daegu , traversing the Daegu Line and part of
2907-464: The train carried no cargo at all. The total amount of cargo carried over this period had been merely 340 tons. This absence of interest in the service has been explained by the customers' (companies operating in Kaesong) preference for road transport. In November 2008, North Korea shut down the link. However, railroad transportation from South Korea to North Korea resumed again on 30 November 2018, when
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#17327721404252964-612: The trains operated by Korail freely, including KTX. However, subways and tourist trains operated by KORAIL are not covered. Foreigners living in South Korea for more than six months are ineligible to use a KR Pass, but Korail offers the Happy Rail Pass, which is very similar to the KR Pass, for a slightly higher price. Most of the railroad's employees are members of the Korean Railway Workers' Union , which
3021-458: The winter months, identified by a snowflake decoration, which enjoyed great popularity. Most of these trains also traverse parts of the Yeongdong Line. By the 2009/2010 season, the offer expanded to a dozen different tour packages, including trips to single destinations combined with local excursions, as well as round trips in the Taebaek Mountains along the Jungang, Taebaek and Yeongdong Lines. According to Korail's plans in 2009, travel times on
3078-473: Was announced that the groundbreaking ceremony to symbolize the reconnection of the roads and railways in both Koreas will be held on 26 December 2018 in the North Korean city of Kaesong. On 17 December 2018, the latest inter-Korean railway survey, which involved an 800-km rail from Kumgangsan near the inter-Korean border to the Tumen River bordering Russia in the east, was completed. A potential threat to
3135-475: Was completed on December 30, 1976. The electrification of altogether 15.9 km (9.9 mi) around the Hambaek Line went into service on April 1, 1977. In September 2006, the construction of a 14.3km double-track railway between Jecheon and Ipseok-ri began to cope with the increasing amount of cement transport. The project, which has been under construction for seven years, cost 387.4 billion won and opened on November 14, 2013. For passenger transportation,
3192-594: Was integrated into the Taebaek Line in 1973. After the closure of the Gangneung–Gyeongpo-dong section on March 1, 1979, the total length of the line reduced from 200 km (124.3 mi) to 193.6 km (120.3 mi). Electrification reached the line from the Taebaek Line , when the catenary on the 85.5 km long section from Gohan on the Taebaek Line via junction station Baeksan to Donghae went into service on December 5, 1975. On March 28, 1997,
3249-684: Was known as Korean National Railroad (KNR) in English. In the early 2000s, the split and public corporatization of KNR was decided by the South Korean government, and in 2003, KNR adopted the current KORAIL logo in blue to prepare for corporatization. On 1 January 2005, KNR was split into Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), which succeeded railway operation with the KORAIL logo and name, and Korea National Railway (KR), which succeeded in railway construction and maintaining tracks. Fares are set according to distance. KORAIL has posted losses every year for
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