Kangdok Line Explained

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Kangdŏk Line
Native Name:강덕선(康德線)
Native Name Lang:ko
Type:Heavy rail, Passenger & freight rail
Regional rail
Status:Operational
Locale:Ch'ŏngjin-si, North Hamgyŏng
Start:Namgangdŏk
End:Susŏng
Stations:4
Open:1 December 1941
Owner:Chosen Government Railway (1941–1945)
Korean State Railway (since 1945)
Linelength Km:15.2
Tracks:Single track
Electrification:3000 V DC Overhead line
Context:north
Hangul:강덕선
Mr:Kangdŏk-sŏn
Rr:Gangdeok-seon

The Kangdŏk Line is an electrified standard-gauge secondary line of the North Korean State Railway running from Namgangdŏk on the P'yŏngra Line to Susŏng on the Hambuk Line.[1]

Ch'ŏngjin Choch'ajang, Ch'ŏngjin's large marshalling yard, is located on this line.[1]

History

The first rail line to reach Susŏng was the Ch'ŏngjin−Ch'angp'yŏng section of the Hamgyŏng Line, opened by the Chosen Government Railway (Sentetsu) on 5 November 1916. On 31 July 1917, the management of Sentetsu was transferred from the Railway Bureau of the Government-General of Korea to the South Manchuria Railway (Mantetsu). Under Mantetsu management, construction of the Hamgyŏng Line was accelerated, and to handle increasing freight traffic on the line, a large marshalling yard, called Ch'ŏngjin Choch'ajang, was built near Ch'ŏngjin.[1] To access this, a new 14.9km (09.3miles) line between Ranam and Susŏng was opened on 10 December 1919; Kangdŏk Station, located 7.2km (04.5miles) from Ranam, was opened on 1 August 1922.

On 1 December 1941, a new line was opened between Ranam and Ch'ŏngjin to allow trains to bypass the Ch'ŏngjin marshalling yard. The existing line, running via Kangdŏk and the marshalling yard, was detached from the Hamgyeong Line and designated the Kangdŏk Line; at the same time, a 2.4km (01.5miles) connection from Ch'ŏngjin Sŏhang Station (Ch'ŏngjin West Port, today called Songp'yŏng) to Kangdŏk was built, to allow southbound trains to access the marshalling yard without having to reverse at Ranam.[2]

Services

See also: List of passenger train services in North Korea.

Two passenger trains are known to operate on this line:[1]

Route

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
0.00.0Namgangdŏk (South Kangdŏk)님강덕 (南康德)P'yŏngra Line
1.31.3Kangdŏk강덕 (康德)Kŭndong Branch
7.36.0Kŭndong근동 (芹洞)Kŭndong Branch
15.27.9Susŏng수성 (輸城)Hambuk Line

Kŭndong Branch

Electrified.

Distance (km) Station Name Former Name
Total S2S Transcribed Chosŏn'gŭl (Hanja) Transcribed Chosŏn'gŭl (Hanja) Connections
0.00.0Kangdŏk강덕 (康德)Kangdŏk Line
5.55.5Ch'ŏngjin Choch'ajang
(Ch'ŏngjin Marshalling Yard)
청진조차장 (淸津操車場)
8.12.6Kŭndong근동 (芹洞)Kangdŏk Line

Notes and References

  1. Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō),
  2. 朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 4449, 22 November 1941 (in Japanese)