Hoeryong Tangwang Line

The Hoeryŏng T'an'gwang Line (Hoeryŏng Colliery Line) is a non-electrified standard-gauge freight-only secondary line of the Korean State Railway in North Korea, running from Hoeryŏng Ch'ŏngnyŏn on the Hambuk Line to Yusŏn.[1]

Hoeryŏng Colliery Line
Hoeryŏng Ch'ŏngnyŏn Station
Overview
Native name	회령탄광선(會寧炭鑛線)
Type	Heavy rail, Freight rail
Status	Operational
Locale	Hoeryŏng-si, North Hamgyŏng
Termini	Hoeryŏng Ch'ŏngnyŏn Yusŏn
Stations	2 (formerly 5)
Operation
Opened	11 August 1928
Owner	Tomun Railway (1928–1929) Chosen Government Railway (1929–1933) South Manchuria Railway (1933–1940) Chosen Government Railway (1940–1945) Korean State Railway (since 1945)
Technical
Line length	10.6 km (6.6 mi)
Number of tracks	Single track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Route map Hambuk Line Hoeryŏng Colliery Line Tumen River to Rajin 0.0 Hoeryŏng Ch'ŏngnyŏn (bridge appx 440 m (1,440 ft)) 5.3 Yŏngsu Closed Tokhŭng-ri (Hoeryŏng Tobacco Factory) (bridge appx 40 m (130 ft)) (bridge appx 40 m (130 ft)) 9.2 Pongŭi Closed (bridge appx 210 m (690 ft)) 10.6 Yusŏn (coal mine) 11.7 Singyerim (coal mine) Closed

Hoeryong Tangwang Line
Chosŏn'gŭl	회령탄광선
Hancha	会寧炭鉱線
Revised Romanization	Hoeryeongtangwang-seon
McCune–Reischauer	Hoeryŏngt'an'gwang-sŏn

History

The Tomun Railway, which had completed its mainline from Hoeryŏng to Tonggwanjin on 1 November 1924,[2], expanded its network in order to serve the collieries around Hoeryŏng by building a 10.6 km (6.6 mi) branchline from Hoeryŏng to Kyerim, which was opened for service on 11 August 1928.[3]

Less than a year later, on 1 April 1929 the Tomun Railway was nationalised and absorbed by the Chosen Government Railway (Sentetsu).[2] Sentetsu continued to operate the line, and then further expanded it with the addition of a 1.1 km (0.68 mi) extension to Singyerim; this extension was opened on 21 December 1932,[4] but was subsequently closed.

The line has changed hands several times since its construction. Following the absorption of the Tomun Railway by Sentetsu in 1929, on 1 October 1933 the Hoeryŏng Colliery Line, along with the rest of Sentetsu's Tomun Line to Unggi, were transferred to the South Manchuria Railway (Mantetsu).[5] Mantetsu took over the management, operation and maintenance of these lines, until finally on 1 July 1940 it was transferred back to Sentetsu.[6]

Following the partition of Korea, all railways located in the Soviet zone of occupation, including the Hoeryŏng Colliery Line, were nationalised by the Provisional People’s Committee for North Korea on 10 August 1946, and following the establishment of North Korea, the Korean State Railway was created.[7] At some point, the stations at Yŏngsu and Pongŭi were closed, and Kyerim station was renamed Yusŏn.

Services

Coal is shipped from mines on this line to the Kim Chaek Iron & Steel Complex at Kimchaek and the Ch'ŏngjin Steel Works in Ch'ŏngjin, with the order of collection from each line arranged in the order of the total weight of the outbound cars.[8] This line also serves the Hoeryŏng Tobacco Factory located near the former station of Yŏngsu.

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	Hoeryŏng Ch'ŏngnyŏn	회령청년 (会寧青年)	Hoeryŏng	회령 (会寧)	Hambuk Line
5.3	5.3	Yŏngsu	영수 (永綏)			Closed.
9.2	3.9	Pongŭi	봉의 (鳳儀)			Closed.
10.6	1.4	Yusŏn	유선 (遊仙)	Kyerim	계림 (鶏林)
11.7	1.1	Singyerim	신계림 (新鷄林)			Closed.

References

1. Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), p. 93, ISBN 978-4-10-303731-6
2. 朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 669, 28 March 1929 (in Japanese)
3. 朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 472, 25 July 1928 (in Japanese)
4. 朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 1782, 15 December 1932 (in Japanese)
5. 朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa extra issue, 1 October 1933 (in Japanese)
6. Dong-A Ilbo, 29 June 1940
7. Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), p. 131, ISBN 978-4-10-303731-6
8. "북한지리정보: 운수지리 함북선". Naver. Retrieved 2017-08-16.

• Japanese Government Railways (1937). 鉄道停車場一覧. 昭和12年10月1日現在 [The List of Stations as of 1 October 1937] (in Japanese). Tokyo: Kawaguchi Printing Company. p. 506.