Songrim Line

The Songrim Line is a partially electrified standard-gauge secondary line of the Korean State Railway in South Hwanghae Province, North Korea, running from Hwangju on the P'yŏngbu Line to Songrim.[1]

Songrim Line
Overview
Other name(s)	Kyŏmip'o Line 겸이포선 (兼二浦線)
Native name	송림선 (松林線)
Type	Heavy rail, Passenger & freight rail Regional rail
Status	Operational
Locale	North Hwanghae
Termini	Hwangju Songrim Ch'ŏngnyŏn
Stations	4 (incl. Songrim Hwamul)
Operation
Opened	1 April 1908
Owner	Korean State Railway
Operator(s)	Korean State Railway
Technical
Line length	14.2 km (8.8 mi)
Number of tracks	Single track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	3000 V DC Overhead line Hwangju-Changch'ŏlli
Route map P'yŏngbu Line 0.0 Hwangju P'yŏngbu Line (bridge appx 30 m (98 ft)) Hongjuch'ŏn Reunification Highway 6.7 Changch'ŏlli (bridge appx 45 m (148 ft)) Hongjuch'ŏn KPA coal facility 11.3 Songrim Ch'ŏngnyŏn mine Songrim Port Songrim Port 14.2 Songrim Hwamul Hwanghae Iron & Steel Complex 1.8 underground facility fuel dump

Songrim Line
Chosŏn'gŭl	송림선
Hancha	松林線
Revised Romanization	Songnim-seon
McCune–Reischauer	Songrim-sŏn

The line continues past Songrim Ch'ŏngnyŏn Station to the freight-only Songrim Hwamul Station and the Hwanghae Iron & Steel Complex.

History

Originally built by the Chosen Government Railway (Sentetsu) as the Kyŏmip'o Line (겸이포선, 兼二浦線),[1] construction was completed in November 1905, and revenue operations began on 1 April 1908. Changch'ŏlli Station was opened by Sentetsu on 5 December 1915.[2] Originally built to serve the Mitsubishi Iron Foundry (called the Hwanghae Iron & Steel Complex since 1945), in 1920 there was one daily round-trip through train between P'yŏngyang and Kyŏmip'o, along with five daily round-trip local trains (second and third class only) between Hwangju and Kyŏmip'o.[3]

After the defeat of Japan in the Pacific War and the subsequent partition of Korea, the entirety of the line, being north of the 38th parallel, was located in the Soviet zone of occupation; on 10 August 1946, the Provisional People's Committee for North Korea nationalised all railways within its jurisdiction, including the Songrim Line, and it has since been operated by the Korean State Railway.[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	Hwangju	황주	Hwanghae Hwangju	황해 (黄海黄州)	P'yŏngbu Line
6.7	6.7	Changch'ŏlli	장천리 (長川里)
11.3	4.6	Songrim Ch'ŏngnyŏn	송림 청년 (松林靑年)	Kyŏmip'o	겸이포 (兼二浦)
14.2	1.1	Songrim Hwamul	송림 화물 (松林貨物)

References

• 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), Kawaguchi Printing Company, Tokyo, pp. 486

1. Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), ISBN 978-4-10-303731-6
2. 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Taishō No. 998, 1 December 1915
3. Official Guide to Eastern Asia vol. 1 Chōsen & Manchuria, Siberia, p. 133, Department of Railways, Tokyo, 1920