Unsan Line Explained

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Unsan Line
Native Name:운산선 (雲山線)
Native Name Lang:ko
Type:Heavy rail, Passenger & freight rail
Regional rail
Status:Closed
Locale:North P'yŏngan
Start:Puksinhyŏn
End:Samsan
Stations:7
Open:1970s
Close:1990s
Owner:Korean State Railway
Linelength:45km (28miles) (est.)
Tracks:Single track
Context:north
Hangul:운산선
Mr:Unsan-sŏn
Rr:Unsan-seon

The Unsan Line is a former non-electrified narrow gauge line of the Korean State Railway in North P'yŏngan Province, North Korea, running from Puksinhyŏl-li, Hyangsan County on the Manp'o Line to Samsal-ri, Unsan County.[1]

History

The Unsan Line was originally opened by the Korean State Railway in the 1970s;[2] it was closed some time in the 1990s.

Trains on the line were pulled by Czechoslovakian-built 400 series 0-6-0T steam tank locomotives.[3]

By December 2003, there was little that remained of the line, with only the bridge abutments leaving Puksinhyon station being visible and no buildings or locomotives seen.[4]

Routes

A yellow background in the "Distance" box indicates that section of the line is not electrified; a pink background indicates that section is narrow gauge; an orange background indicates that section is non-electrified narrow gauge.

Distance (km) Station Name Former Name
Total S2S Transcribed Chosŏn'gŭl (Hanja) Transcribed Chosŏn'gŭl (Hanja) Connections
0.00.0Puksinhyŏn북신현 (北薪峴)Manp'o Line
6.56.5Rohyŏn로현 (蘆峴)Distance estimated.
14.58.0Sangsŏ상서 (上西)Distance estimated.
22.07.5Undaesan운대산 (雲台山)Distance estimated.
28.06.0P'yŏngbuk Unsan평북운산 (平北雲山)Distance estimated.
36.08.0Pang'ŏ방어 (防禦)Distance estimated.
45.09.0Samsan삼산 (三山)Distance estimated.

Notes and References

  1. Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō),
  2. Choe, Un-sik, 한국의 전통 사회 운송 기구,
  3. Huxtable, Nils, and Ziel, Ron, Steam Beneath the Red Star p 194, Amereon House, 1995,
  4. Web site: North Korea December 2003. registration. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20061008021321/http://www.farrail.net/pages/trip-reports-engl/trip-report_nk-dec-2003.html. 2006-10-08.