Gyeongbuk Line

Gyeongbuk Line
Overview
Native name 경북선(慶北線)
Type Heavy rail, Passenger/freight rail
Regional rail
Status Operational
Locale North Gyeongsang
Termini Gimcheon
Yeongju
Stations 12
Operation
Opened Stages between 1924 - 1966
Owner Korea Rail Network Authority
Operator(s) Korail
Technical
Line length 115.2 km (71.6 mi)
Number of tracks Single track
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Route map
 Gyeongbu from Gumi
 0.0 Gimcheon
 Gyeongbu to Yeongdong
 20.0 Oksan
 27.1 Cheongni
 36.0 Sangju
 44.4 Baegwon
 55.8 Hamchang
 60.0 Jeomchon
 Mungyeong Line
 66.9 Yonggung
 73.3 Gaepo
 85.0 Yecheon
 101.6 Eodeung
 Jungang to Andong
 115.2 Yeongju
 Jungang Line, Yeongdong Line
Gyeongbuk Line
Hangul 경북선
Hanja 慶北線
Revised Romanization Gyeongbukseon
McCune–Reischauer Kyŏngbuksŏn
Southbound freight on the Gyeongbuk Line, south of Jeomchon Station

The Gyeongbuk Line is a railway line serving North Gyeongsang Province in South Korea. The line runs from Gimcheon on the Gyeongbu Line via Sangju, Yeomchon (junction with the Mungyeong Line), and Yecheon to Yeongju on the Jungang Line.

History

Construction of the line was begun by the privately owned Chosen Industrial Railway; however, before the line was finished, that company merged with five others to create the Chosen Railway (Chōtetsu) in 1923, and it was the new company which completed the first section of the line, opening the Gimcheon–Sangju section on 1 October 1924, followed by the Sangju–Jeomchon section on 25 December.[1] Chōtetsu then extended the line in several stages, first reaching Yecheon on 1 November 1928, then reaching Gyeongbuk Andong on 16 October 1931; however, the latter section was dismantled in 1944 to use the material elsewhere as Japan's military faced material shortages during the Pacific War.[2] After the Liberation of Korea, the Chosen Railway was nationalised along with all other railways in the country.

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.[2] Under the program, the Gyeongbuk Line was extended to Yeongju, to create a connection both with the Jungang Line and the Yeongdong Line, allowing the transport of coal from the latter.[2] Work began in May 1962, the 28.9 km (18.0 mi) from Jeomchon to Yecheon was opened in January 1966, the 29.7 km (18.5 mi) from Yecheon to Yeongju was opened on 10 October 1966.[2] The complete line is 115.2 km (71.6 mi) long, and remains single-tracked and unelectrified.[1]

A 22.3 km (13.9 mi) long branch from Jeomchon to Mungyeong, the Mungyeong Line, was opened on 10 May 1969.[1]

Operation

As of 2010, the line is served by both passenger and freight trains along its entire length, as is the Mungyeong branch.[1] As of November 2010, the line is served by Mugunghwa cross-country trains from Busan and Dongdaegu, which travel in 2 hours 12 minutes from Gimcheon to Yeongju.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "경영원칙 > 경영공시 > 영업현황 > 영업거리현황". Korail. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2010-11-30.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "철마 110년, 영고의 자취 [12] 경제개발과 철도" (in Korean). Silvernet News. 2010-03-20. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
  3. ↑ "Booking". Korail. Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2010-11-30.

See also

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