Changyon Line

The Changyŏn Line is a non-electrified standard-gauge secondary line of the Korean State Railway running from Sugyo on the Ŭnnyul Line to Changyŏn, South Hwanghae Province, North Korea.[1]

Changyŏn Line
Overview
Native name	장연선(長淵線)
Type	Heavy rail, Passenger rail Regional rail
Status	Operational
Locale	South Hwanghae
Termini	Sugyo Changyŏn
Stations	4
Operation
Opened	21 January 1937
Owner	Chosen Railway (1937–1944) Chosen Government Railway (1944-1945) Korean State Railway (since 1945)
Operator(s)	Korean State Railway
Technical
Line length	17.7 km (11.0 mi)
Number of tracks	Single track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Old gauge	762 mm (2 ft 6 in)
Route map P'yŏngbu Line Hwanghae Ch'ŏngnyŏn Line former Sahae Line Ŭnnyul Line Changyŏn Line former Changyŏn Line 0.0 Sariwŏn Ch'ŏngnyŏn 1.5 West Sariwŏn Closed 3.6 Migŏk Closed 8.2 Sŏjong Closed 11.9 Samgang Closed 16.0 Kŭmsan Closed -42.6 21.5 Chaeryŏng 0.0 64.1 Sugyo 4.7 68.8 Songhwa Onch'ŏn Namdaech'ŏn (tunnel appx 210 metres (690 ft)) 10.3 74.4 Ragyŏn 13.7 77.8 Nakto Closed (bridge appx 150 metres (490 ft)) Namdaech'ŏn 17.7 81.8 Changyŏn Engine house

Changyon Line
Chosŏn'gŭl	장연선
Hancha	長淵線
Revised Romanization	Jangyeon-seon
McCune–Reischauer	Changyŏn-sŏn

History

Main article: Unnyul Line § History

This line was originally opened on 21 January 1937 as part of the Chosen Railway's 762 mm (30.0 in) narrow gauge Hwanghae Line network,[2] as an extension to the Sariwŏn—Sanghae (renamed Samgang after nationalisation)—Sugyo line. The entirety of the Hwanghae Line network was nationalised on 1 April 1944 and absorbed by the Chosen Government Railway, which then split the Hwanghae Line network into separate lines, with the Sariwon—Sugyo—Changyŏn line becoming the Changyŏn Line.[3]

After the end of the Pacific War, the Changyŏn Line ended up in North Korea as a result of the subsequent partition of Korea. After the end of the Korean War the Railway Ministry of the DPRK began to expand and improve its network, including in South Hwanghae, leading to the opening of a line from Sugyo to Ch'ŏlgwang in 1961.[4] With the opening of the new line, the Sariwŏn—Sugyo—Ch'ŏlgwang line was named Ŭnnyul Line, leaving the Changyŏn Line as just the short branch from Sugyo to Changyŏn. This line was converted to standard gauge in 1971.[4]

Services

Semi-express passenger trains 138-139/140-141 operating between Manp'o and Changyŏn serve the entirety of this line from Sugyo to Changyŏn.[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
0.0	0.0	Sugyo	수교 (水橋)			Ŭnnyul Line
4.7	4.7	Songhwa Onch'ŏn	송화온천 (松禾温泉)
10.3	5.6	Ragyŏn	락연 (楽淵)	Naksan	낙산 (楽山)
13.7	3.4	Nakto	낙도 (楽道)			Closed
17.7	7.4	Changyŏn	장연 (長淵)

References

1. Kokubu, Hayato (2007), 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), Shinchosha, Tokyo, ISBN 978-4-10-303731-6
2. 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Showa Nr. 3009, 28 January 1937
3. 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Showa Nr. 5143, 29 March 1944
4. North Korea Geographic Information: Transportation Geography - Unnyul Line (in Korean)

• Japanese Government Railways (1937). 鉄道停車場一覧. 昭和12年10月1日現在 [The List of the Stations as of 1 October 1937]. Tokyo: Kawaguchi Printing Company. p. 508.