Paengma Line Explained

Paengma Line
Native Name:백마선(白馬線)
Type:Heavy rail, Regional rail
Locale:North P'yŏngan
Start:Yŏmju
End:South Sinŭiju
Stations:7
Status:Operational
Open:28 April 1905
1 April 1908 (Passenger service)
Owner:Temporary Military Railway (1905–1906)
National Railway (1906–1909)
Korea Railway (1909–1910)
Chosen Government Railway (1910–1917)
South Manchuria Railway (1917–1925)

Korean State Railway (since 1945)
Linelength:39.6km (24.6miles)
Tracks:Single track
Maxincline:13‰
Minradius:400m (1,300feet)
Context:north
Hangul:백마선
Mr:Paengma-sŏn
Rr:Baegma-seon

The Paengma Line is a non-electrified standard-gauge secondary line of the Korean State Railway in North P'yŏngan Province, North Korea, running from Yŏmju on the P'yŏngŭi Line to South Sinŭiju, likewise on the P'yŏngui Line.[1]

Description

The ruling grade of the line is 13‰, and the minimum curve radius is 400m (1,300feet). There are 26 bridges with a total length of 1363m (4,472feet), and two tunnels with a total length of 803m (2,635feet).[2]

History

For the original line's history and other information prior to 1945, see Gyeongui Line (1904–1945).

The Namsi (now Yŏmju)–South Sinŭiju stretch of railway via Paengma was opened on 28 April 1905 by the Temporary Military Railway as part of the mainline of the Kyŏngŭi Line from Kyŏngsŏng (Seoul) to Sinŭiju. On 16 October 1943, South Sinŭiju Station became a connecting station with the Sinŭiju–YangsiNamsi Yangsi Line, which the Chosen Government Railway had taken over from the privately owned Tasado Railway on 1 April of that year.[3]

After the establishment of the DPRK and the nationalisation of its railways to create the Korean State Railway, the line from Ryongch'ŏn (formerly Yangsi) to Yŏmju (formerly Namsi) remained separate as the Yangsi Line. In 1964 the Korean State Railway decided to make the shorter Yangsi Line the mainline of the P'yŏngui Line, and the former mainline between Yŏmju and South Sinŭiju was separated, becoming the current Paengma Line.

Services

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

There is extensive freight traffic on the line, serving the large Ponghwa Chemical Complex at Paengma and several other factories.[2]

A pair of local trains, numbered 418/419, operate between Sinŭiju Ch'ŏngnyŏn and Yŏmju, running along this line instead of the P'yŏngŭi line.[1] There is also a short branch from Paengma to the private Songhwa Residence.[4]

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
0.00.0Yŏmju염주 (鹽州)Namsi남시 (南市)P'yŏngŭi Line
8.78.7Ryangch'aek량책 (良策)Yangch'aek양책 (良策)
16.57.8P'ihyŏn피현 (枇峴)
23.06.5Ryonggyeri룡계리 (龍溪里)Yonggyeri용계리 (龍溪里)
25.82.8Paengma백마 (白馬)
37.011.2Sŏkha석하 (石下)
39.62.6South Sinŭiju (Namsinŭiju)남신의주 (南新義州)P'yŏngŭi Line, Tŏkhyŏn Line

References

Notes and References

  1. Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō),
  2. http://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=2090765&cid=44454&categoryId=44461 North Korea Geographic Information: Transportation Geography - Paengma Line (in Korean)
  3. 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa Nr. 4837, 19 March 1943
  4. Web site: A bird's eye view of the prisons and palaces of Kim Jong-il's North Korea.