Gyeongbuk Line Explained

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Gyeongbuk Line
Native Name:	경북선(慶北線)
Native Name Lang:	ko
Color:	0066b3
Type:	Heavy rail, Passenger/freight rail Regional rail
Status:	Operational
Locale:	North Gyeongsang
Start:	Gimcheon
End:	Yeongju
Stations:	12
Open:	Stages between 1924 - 1966
Owner:	Korea Rail Network Authority
Operator:	Korail
Linelength Km:	115.2
Tracks:	Single track
Map State:	collapsed

Rr:	Gyeongbukseon
Mr:	Kyŏngbuksŏn

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, Jeomchon (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. 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]

Notes and References

1. Web site: 경영원칙 > 경영공시 > 영업현황 > 영업거리현황 . . 2010-11-30 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110722192217/http://info.korail.com/2007/kra/ope/ope08000/w_ope08606.jsp . 2011-07-22 .
2. Web site: Booking . . 2010-11-30 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110713164814/http://www.korail.com/en/rv/pr21100/w_pr21110.jsp . 2011-07-13 .
3. Web site: 철마 110년, 영고의 자취 [12] 경제개발과 철도 |language=ko |date=2010-03-20 |publisher=Silvernet News |access-date=2010-11-27}} 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. Work began in May 1962, the 28.9km (18miles) from Jeomchon to Yecheon was opened in January 1966, the 29.7km (18.5miles) from Yecheon to Yeongju was opened on 10 October 1966. The complete line is 115.2km (71.6miles) long, and remains single-tracked and unelectrified.

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

   Operation

   As of 2010, the line is served by both passenger and freight trains along its entire length, as is the Mungyeong branch. 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.^[2]

   Route

   Station	Hangul	Hanja	Connecting lines	Station distance	Line distance
   Gimcheon	김천	金泉	Gyeongbu Line	0.0	0.0
   Acheon	아천	牙川	closed 1994	7.7	7.7
   Duwon	두원	杜院	closed 2006	5.1	12.8
   Oksan	옥산	玉山		20.0	20.0
   Cheongni	청리	靑里		7.1	27.1
   Sangju	상주	尙州		8.9	36.0
   Baekwon	백원	白元		8.4	44.4
   Yangjeong	양정	楊亭	closed 2006	3.5	47.9
   Hamchang	함창	咸昌		11.4	55.8
   Jeomchon	점촌	店村	Mungyeong Line	4.2	60.0
   Sanyang	산양	山陽	closed 2001	5.4	65.4
   Yonggung	용궁	龍宮		6.9	66.9
   Songam	송암	松岩	closed 1974	2.7	69.6
   Gaepo	개포	開浦		6.4	73.3
   Yulhyeon	율현	栗峴	closed 2001	3.4	76.7
   Gadong	가동	佳洞	closed 2001	3.0	79.7
   Yecheon	예천	醴泉		11.7	85.0
   Dongyecheon	동예천	東醴泉	closed 1974	1.6	86.6
   Gopyeong	고평	高坪	closed 2001 former Gyeongbuk Line	2.7	89.3
   Misan	미산	眉山	closed 2001	4.5	93.8
   Bomun	보문	普門	closed 2001	1.3	95.1
   Jangsan	장산	獐山	closed 1974	3.2	98.3
   Eodeung	어등	魚登		16.4	101.4
   Miryong	미룡	美龍	closed 2001	4.0	105.6
   Bangu	반구	盤邱	closed 2001	2.7	108.3
   Yeongju	영주	榮州	Jungang Line Yeongdong Line	13.6	115.0

   See also

   • Korean National Railroad

   References

   .