| Box Width: | auto |
| Kaech'ŏn Line | |
| Native Name: | 개천선(价川線) |
| Native Name Lang: | ko |
| Image Alt: | Sinanju Ch'ŏngnyŏn station, western terminus of the Kaech'ŏn Line |
| Type: | Heavy rail, Passenger/Freight rail Regional rail |
| Status: | Operational |
| Start: | Sinanju Ch'ŏngnyŏn |
| End: | Kaech'ŏn |
| Stations: | 6 |
| Open: | Stages between 1916–1918 |
| Owner: | Mitsui Mining Railway (1916–1927) Kaech'ŏn Light Railway (1927–1933) Chosen Government Railway (1933–1945) Korean State Railway (since 1945) |
| Linelength Km: | 29.5 |
| Tracks: | Single track |
| Electrification: | 3000 V DC Overhead line |
| Depot: | Kaech'ŏn |
| Maxincline: | 14‰ |
| Minradius: | 300m (1,000feet) |
| Context: | north |
| Hangul: | 개천선 |
| Mr: | Kaech'ŏn-sŏn |
| Rr: | Gaecheon-seon |
The Kaech'ŏn Line is an electrified standard-gauge secondary line of the Korean State Railway running from Sinanju on the P'yŏngŭi Line to Kaech'ŏn on the Manp'o Line.[1]
The ruling grade on the line is 14‰, the minimum curve radius is 300m (1,000feet); there are 14 bridges with a total length of 619m (2,031feet), and there are four tunnels with a total length of 928m (3,045feet).[2]
The line was originally opened on 13 May 1916 by the Mitsui Mining Railway as a 762mm narrow-gauge line running from Sinanju to Kaech'ŏn. It was subsequently extended from Kaech'ŏn to Ch'ŏndong, with the new section being opened on 1 December 1918. In 1927, the company was renamed Kaech'ŏn Light Railway, and then was leased to the Chosen Government Railway (Sentetsu) on 1 November 1932.[3] Sentetsu began converting the Kaech'ŏn–Ch'ŏndong section to standard gauge, completing this work on 15 July 1933,[4] and on 1 September 1933 the entirety of the line was officially absorbed into Sentetsu, with the Kaech'ŏn–Ch'ŏndong section becoming part of the Manp'o Line. After the partition of Korea the line was located in North Korea and became part of the Korean State Railway, which converted the remaining narrow-gauge section (Sinanju–Kaech'ŏn) to standard gauge in 1949;[1] the regauging work began in March 1949 and was completed in eight months.[2]
Electrification of the line was completed in February 1979,[2] [5] and semi-automatic train control was installed on the entirety of the line at the same time.[2]
| Date | Section | Length | Original Builder | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 May 1916 | Sinanju–Kaech'ŏn (narrow gauge) | 29.5km (18.3miles) | Mitsui Mining Railway | |
| 1 December 1918 | Kaech'ŏn–Ch'ŏndong (narrow gauge) | 6.3km (03.9miles) | Mitsui Mining Railway | |
| 1 September 1925 | Kaech'ŏn–Ch'ŏndong (standard gauge) | 6.3km (03.9miles) | Chosen Government Railway | |
| November 1949 | Sinanju–Kaech'ŏn (standard gauge) | 29.5km (18.3miles) | Korean State Railway | |
| February 1979 | Sinanju–Kaech'ŏn (electrification) | 29.5km (18.3miles) | Korean State Railway |
Anthracite and cement are the primary commodities shipped on the line.[2]
The following passenger trains are known to operate on this line:[1]
There are also commuter trains running along the line between Sinanju Ch'ŏngnyŏn and Kaech'ŏn.[2]
A yellow background in the "Distance" box indicates that section of the line is not electrified
| Distance (km) | Station Name | Former Name | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | S2S | Transcribed | Chosŏn'gŭl (Hanja) | Transcribed | Chosŏn'gŭl (Hanja) | Connections | |
| 0.0 | 0.0 | Sinanju Ch'ŏngnyŏn | 신안주청년 (新安州靑年) | Sinanju | 신안주 (新安州) | P'yŏngŭi Line | |
| 6.4 | 6.4 | Anju | 안주 (安州) | ||||
| 11.1 | 4.7 | Puksongri | 북송리 (北松里) | ||||
| 16.3 | 5.2 | Yŏnp'ung | 연풍 (延豊) | ||||
| 21.3 | 5.0 | Unhŭngri | 운흥리 (雲興里) | ||||
| 29.5 | 8.2 | Kaech'ŏn | 개천 (价川) | Manp'o Line, Choyang Colliery Line | |||
. Japanese Government Railways . Japanese Government Railway . 1937 . 鉄道停車場一覧. 昭和12年10月1日現在 . Japanese . The List of Stations as of 1 October 1937 . Tokyo . Kawaguchi Printing Company . 498 .