Jungang line

The Jungang line (literally Central line) is a railway line connecting Cheongnyangni in Seoul to Gyeongju in South Korea, traversing central South Korea from the northwest to the southeast. It also referred to the rail line of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway from Yongsan station to Yongmun station.

Jungang line
Overview
Native name	중앙선(中央線)
Type	Heavy rail, Passenger/freight rail Regional rail, Commuter rail, Intercity rail
Status	Operational
Locale	Seoul Gyeonggi Gangwon (South Korea) North Chungcheong North Gyeongsang
Termini	Cheongnyangni Gyeongju
Stations	82
Operation
Opened	Stages between 1918–1942
Owner	Korea Rail Network Authority
Operator(s)	Korail
Technical
Line length	373.8 km (232.3 mi)
Number of tracks	Double track (Cheongnyangni–West Wonju, Bongyang–Dodam) Single track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	25 kV/60 Hz AC Overhead line (Cheongnyangni–Yeongju)
Route map Gyeongwon Line, Cheongnyangni Rail Yard 0.0 Cheongnyangni 1.4 Hoegi Gyeongwon Line () Jungnang stream 3.2 Jungnang Mangu Line ( Gyeongchun ) 4.0 Sangbong 4.6 Mangu  Gyeongchun  6.3 Yangwon ↑Seoul/Guri↓ Donggyo (Signal Box) closed in 2005 9.5 Guri ↑Guri/Namyangju↓ Seoul Ring Expressway 11.2 Donong Sinnae-Namyangju Freeway Suseok-Hopyeong Freeway 14.9 Yangjeong Seoul–Yangyang Expressway 17.2 Deokso 18.7 Dosim 22.9 Paldang since 2007 23.7# Paldang until 2007 28.7# Neungnae (1956 - 2008) 29.3 Ungilsan Bukhan River, ↑Namyangju ↓Yangpyeong 34.1# 31.2 Yangsu 35.9 Sinwon 38.8 Guksu 42.9 Asin Jungbu Naeryuk Expressway 45.7 Obin 47.9 Yangpyeong 53.7 Wondeok 58.5 Yongmun  Gyeongui–​Jungang  terminus Yongmun Rail Yard 62.1 Jipyeong 65.0 Seokbul since 2012 66.1# Seokbul until 2012 68.5 Ilsin since 2012 70.4# Gudun until 2012 74.7# Maegok until 2012 72.3 Maegok since 2012 78.9# 75.3 Yangdong 79.2† Pandae until 2011 79.2 Samsan since 2011 ↑Yangpyeong/Wonju↓ Seom River 86.2# Ganhyeon closed in 2011 86.4 West Wonju The new line Under construction 89.4# 88.3 Donghwa Yeongdong Expressway 93.0 Manjong Jungang Expressway 97.9 Wonju 103.8 Yugyo (Signal Box) 107.2 Bangok 111.2 Geumgyo (Signal Box) spiral 117.0 Chiak Jungang Expressway 122.3 Changgyo (Signal Box) 125.4 Sillim ↑Wonju/Jecheon↓ 129.0 Yeongyo (Signal Box) 133.5 Guhak Chungbuk Line 137.5 Bongyang Jungang Expressway 142.3 Jecheon Rail Yard 144.6 Jecheon Taebaek Line 148.5 Gomyeong (Goods Station) ↑Jecheon/Danyang↓ 153.7 Samgok (Goods Station) 160.5 Dodam Former Line[1] Namhan River National Route 5 166.6 Danyang Namhan River 170.7# Danyang 171.4 Danseong spiral 179.7# 179.6 Jungnyeong (Signal Box) Jungang Expressway Jungnyeong Tunnel ↑Danyang/Yeongju↓ Jungang Expressway 187.4 Hibangsa 193.5 Punggi 199.7 Anjeong (Signal Box) 204.3 North Yeongju (Signal Box) Yeongju Triangular Junction Yeongdong Line 207.0 Yeongju Gyeongbuk Line 212.0 Munsu 214.5 Seungmun Closed in 2013 218.8‡ Pyeongeun Closed in 2013 ↑Yeongju/Andong↓ 225.5‡ Ongcheon Until 2013 224.7 Ongcheon (Signal Box) Since 2013 230.7‡ 229.1 Masa 233.5 Iha 236.1 Seoji (Signal Box) 242.3 Andong The old Gyeongbuk Line Nakdong River 249.7 Mureung 256.5 Unsan ↑Andong/Uiseong↓ 262.0 Danchon 266.7 Eopdong (Signal Box) 271.0 Uiseong 277.3 Bibong (Signal Box) 282.7 Tamni ↑Uiseong/Gunwi↓ 291.3 Ubo 299.3 Hwabon 304.7 Bongnim ↑Gunwi/Yeongcheon↓ 309.5 Gapyeon (Signal Box) 314.5 Sinnyeong 320.9 Hwasan Iksan–Pohang Expressway 329.0 North Yeongcheon Geumho River Daegu Line 331.5 Yeongcheon 336.7 Songpo (Signal Box) 340.8 Impo ↑Yeongcheon/Gyeongju↓ 346.7 Ahwa 352.6 Geoncheon 356.5 Moryang 361.1 Yuldong (Signal Box) 368.7 West Gyeongju Geumjang Triangular Junction Donghae Nambu Line Hyeongsan River 373.8 Gyeongju Donghae Nambu Line

History

The Jungang line was opened along its full length between Cheongnyangni and Gyeongju on April 1, 1942.[2] Jungang means "central" in Korean, and describes the line's route through the mountains in the east-central part of South Korea. When Korea was under Japanese rule, the line was briefly known as Gyeonggyeong Line, referring to line running between Seoul and Gyeongju.

On 1 December 1938 'Donghae Jungbu line' (Daegu–Haksan) was divided into the three parts: Daegu Line, Gyeongygeong line and Donghae Jungbu line, which was later merged into the Donghae Nambu Line.[3] At the same time the Gyeonggyeong line was extended to the Ubo Station. The southern part, Gyeonggyeong Nambu Line, was opened as follows:

Date	Section	Length
1 December 1938	Yeongcheon–Ubo	40.1 km
1 March 1940	Ubo–Gyeongbuk Andong (Andong)	48.9 km
1 July 1941	Gyeongbuk Andong–Yeongju	38.7 km

On the other hand, the northern part, Gyeonggyeong Bukpu Line, was constructed as follows:

Date	Section	Length
1 April 1939	East Gyeongseong (Cheongnyangni)–Yangpyeong	52.5 km
1 April 1940	Yangpyeong–Wonju	55.9 km
1 July 1941	Wonju–Jecheon	46.8 km

On 1 April 1942 the two lines was merged into the Gyeonggyeong Line with the opening of the section Jechon–Yeongju (62.3 km).[4] The name of the line was changed back to its present name after the end of World War II.

Following the 1961 coup, the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction started South Korea's first five-year plan, which included a construction program to complete the railway network, to foster economic growth.[5] As part of the program, in the outskirts of Seoul, a 4.9 km (3.0 mi) long avoiding line was built from Mangu to Seongbuk on the Gyeongwon Line, called the Mangu Line, which opened on December 30, 1963.[5]

Upgrade

A part of the line was the first to be electrified with the 25 kV/60 Hz AC catenary system in South Korea: the catenary on the 155.2 km long Cheongnyangri–Jecheon section went into service on June 20, 1973.[6] The 29.0 km long extension to Danseong followed on December 30, 1987, finally the 35.0 km long extension to Yeongju on December 23, 1988.[6]

The entire line is foreseen for electrification and double-tracking.[7]

Cheongnyangri–Wonju

The double-tracking of the 18.0 km long section from the terminus Cheongnyangri to Deokso was finished first on December 16, 2005.[6] The upgrade of the Deokso–Wonju section is more extensive, with significant re-alignments[8] to enable a line speed of 150 km/h.[9][10] Work started in mid-2001 with a planned budget of 1,700 billion won.[10] The first 5.7 km to Paldang was opened on December 27, 2007,[6] the next 15.9 km to Guksu on December 29, 2008,[6] and another 19.7 km to Yongmun on December 23, 2009.[8] Construction is under way on the rest of the line to Wonju, and is to be completed in 2012.[7][8] The total budget of the 90.4 km long upgrade project is 2,036.847 billion won.[8]

On September 1, 2010, the South Korean government announced a strategic plan to reduce travel times from Seoul to 95% of the country to under 2 hours by 2020. As part of the plan, the Cheongnyangri–Wonju section of the Jungang Line is to be further upgraded for 230 km/h.[11]

Wonju–Jecheon

Across Wonju and between Wonju and Bongyang, the double-track line is to run in a new alignment, most of which will be the 25,080 metre long Musil Tunnel.[7][12] Works on the tunnel are slated to commence in June 2011, for a planned start of service on the Wonju-Jecheon section in 2018. The new line will reduce line distance by 5.5 km and cut travel time by 20 minutes.[7] The project budget for the entire 41.1 km Wonju-Jecheon section is 1,140.061 billion won.[13] Plans for the double-tracking of the section from Bongyang, the terminus of the Chungbuk Line, to Jecheon, have been prepared separately.[14]

Under the government's 2010 strategic plan for 2020, the new alignment in the Wonju–Bongyang section would be laid out for 250 km/h, the rest to Jecheon would be upgraded for 230 km/h.[11]

Jecheon–Gyeongju

The Jecheon–Dodam section,[15][16] 17.4 km in length, is in construction with a budget of 320.024 billion won for a targeted opening in 2011, and is primarily intended to improve capacity for freight transports to a cement factory.[17] The upgrading of the rest of the line is in the stage of the preparation of feasibility studies.[7] Under the government's 2010 strategic plan for 2020, this section would be laid out for 250 km/h.[11]

Services

Regular rail service

Before the KTX era, trans-Korean Tongil-ho trains were in operation on the Jungang and Donghae Nambu lines, providing a 12-hour train journey from Seoul to Busan.

The entire line is served by cross-country Mugunghwa-ho trains, which are most frequent until Jecheon, where many trains continue east on the Taebaek Line. As of October 2010, the travel time from Cheongnyangni in Seoul is a minimum of 1 hour 18 minutes to Wonju, 2 hours 2 minutes to Jecheon, around 3 hours to Yeongju, 5 hours 22 minutes to Yeongcheon, and 6 hours 8 minutes to Gyeongju. Some trains continue to Bujeon station in Busan, with a total travel time of 8 hours by day and 20 minutes shorter by night.[18]

Under the 2010 strategic plan of the government for 2020, once upgraded for higher speeds, the Jungang Line may see KTX service.[11]

Seoul Metropolitan Subway

Main article: Gyeongui–Jungang Line

Commuter rail service was launched on Jungang line (fully integrated with the Seoul Metropolitan Subway) as the upgrading of the line progressed.[9][10] The service started on December 16, 2005, connecting parts of the Gyeongwon Line (from Yongsan to Hoegi Station) and the Jungang line (from Hoegi to Deokso) under the interim name Yongsan–Deokso Line.

An extension to Paldang Station on December 27, 2007 brought the official renaming of the service to Jungang line, although the line actually incorporates parts of both Gyeongwon and Jungang lines. In December 2008, the service was extended to Guksu Station, and an express train service was launched, operating twice a day during morning commuting hours. The express trains ran westward only, from Yangpyeong to Yongsan. The service was finally extended to Yongmun station in Yangpyeong County on December 23, 2009.[8]

The western terminus was Yongsan station ever since the opening of the line. However, with the completion of Gyeongui Line extension to Yongsan on December 27, 2014, both the Jungang and Gyeongui lines were combined into the "Gyeongui-Jungang Line," and trains now run to Munsan station near the North Korean border.[19]

Stations

This list does not include stations served only by Gyeongui-Jungang Line metro trains.

Station number (Seoul Subway)	Station	Hangeul	Hanja	Services
K117	Cheongnyangni	청량리	淸凉里	Seoul Metropolitan Subway: ITX-Saemaeul services Mugunghwa-ho services DMZ Train
K126	Deokso	덕소	德沼	Mugunghwa-ho services (limited service)
K135	Yangpyeong	양평	楊平	ITX-Saemaeul services Mugunghwa-ho services
K137	Yongmun	용문	龍門	Mugunghwa-ho services (limited service)
K138 (terminus)	Jipyeong	지평	砥平	Mugunghwa-ho services (limited service)

After Jipyeong, major stations on the line include:

• Samsan Station
• Seowonju Station
• Manjong Station
• Wonju Station
• Bongyang Station, the terminus of the Chungbuk Line
• Jecheon Station, the terminus of the Taebaek Line. All Chungbuk Line trains departs from here due to the location of Bongyang Station.;
• Danyang Station
• Yeongju Station, the terminus of the Yeongdong and Gyeongbuk lines
• Munsu Station
• Andong Station, where most passenger trains from Seoul terminate
• Uiseong Station
• Yeongcheon Station, the terminus of the Daegu Line
• Gyeongju Station on the Donghae Nambu Line (from Gyeongju, some trains continue south on the Donghae Nambu Line to Bujeon station of Busan).

See also

• Gyeongui–Jungang Line
• Seoul Metropolitan Subway
• Korail
• Transportation in South Korea

References

1. 百年の鉄道旅行(The railway travel-100 years): The map of Danyang (Japanese)
2. "경영원칙 > 경영공시 > 영업현황 > 영업거리현황". Korail. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
3. 朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 3558, 28 November 1938
4. 朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 4536, 13 March 1942
5. "철마 110년, 영고의 자취 [12] 경제개발과 철도" (in Korean). Silvernet News. 2010-03-20. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
6. "Electricity Almanac 2009" (PDF). Korea Electric Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
7. 원주~제천 중앙선 복선전철 2011년 6월 착공 (in Korean). Yahoo!. 2010-09-09. Retrieved 2010-10-19.
8. "덕소∼원주 복선전철". Korea Rail Network Authority. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
9. "Korea's railways face a bright future". International Railway Journal. 2008-07-01. Archived from the original on 2009-04-16. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
10. "South Korea's growing network". Railway Gazette International. 2008-09-08. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
11. "Bullet trains coming to a town near you by 2020". JoongAng Daily. 2010-09-02. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
12. "Feasibility study and basic plan of Jungang line for dluble track between Wonju and Jecheon". Chunsuk Engineering. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2010-10-19.
13. "원주∼제천 복선전철". Korea Rail Network Authority. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
14. "Basic and detailed design of roadbed for electrified double track on Jungang line (Bongyang～Jecheon)". Chunsuk Engineering. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2010-10-19.
15. "Basic design of railway construction for double track on Jungang Line (Jecheon～Dodam)". Chunsuk Engineering. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2010-10-19.
16. "Design/Construction Package of Jungang Double Track Line (Jecheon - Dodam)". Sambo Engineering. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2010-10-19.
17. "제천∼도담 복선전철 (노반,궤도 턴키공사)". Korea Rail Network Authority. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
18. "Booking". Korail. Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
19. "[수도권II] "경의선 효창정거장 부지 220m 때문에…"" ((Korean Language)). Chosun. 2011-08-25. Retrieved 15 July 2012.

External links

Media related to Jungang line at Wikimedia Commons