Tasado Line

The Tasado Line is a non-electrified standard-gauge secondary line of the Korean State Railway in North P'yǒngan Province, North Korea, running from Ryongch'ŏn on the P'yŏngŭi Line to Tasado Port.[1]

Tasado Line
Overview
Native name	다사도선(多獅島線)
Type	Heavy rail, Regional rail Passenger/Freight
Status	Operational
Locale	North P'yǒngan
Termini	Ryongch'ǒn Tasado Port
Stations	6
Operation
Opened	31 October 1939
Owner	Tasado Railway (1939–1945) Korean State Railway (since 1945)
Technical
Line length	24.1 km (15.0 mi)
Number of tracks	Single track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Minimum radius	250 m (820 ft)
Maximum incline	12‰
Route map P'yŏngŭi Line 0.0 Ryongch'ǒn P'yŏngŭi Line 3.5 Pukchung Closed Pukchung Machine Complex Pukchung Machine Complex 5.0 Pukchung Yalu River (bridge appx 35 m (115 ft)) 10.5 0.0 Ryongamp'o 3.4 Ryongamp'o Sea Fishing Co. 6.4 Chinhŭng bulk loading (bridge appx 25 m (82 ft)) 16.8 Sinjǒngri East Sea 20.5 Tasado 23.1 West Tasado Closed 1.4 24.1 Tasado Port

Tasado Line
Chosŏn'gŭl	다사도선
Hancha	多獅島線
Revised Romanization	Dasado-seon
McCune–Reischauer	Tasado-sŏn

Running through gentle territory, the Tasado Line's ruling grade is 12‰, the minimum curve radius is 250 m (820 ft), and there are five bridges with a total length of 81 m (266 ft).[2]

History

The Tasado Line was opened by the Tasado Railway on 31 October 1939, as a 39.5 km (24.5 mi) line from Sinŭiju to Tasado Port via Yangsi,[3] to provide the Oji Paper Company's plant in Sinŭiju (today the Sinŭiju Chemical Fibre Complex a means of shipping its products out via the port at Tasado, as the Yalu River freezes in winter. The Sinŭiju–Yangsi section of the line was transferred to the Chosen Government Railway on 1 April 1943 as the Yangsi Line.[4]

After the partition of Korea the line was within the territory of the DPRK; Yangsi Station was given its current name, Ryongch'ŏn Station some time after the partition. The line suffered considerable damage during the Korean War, including the destruction of the bridge west of Pukchung; this was rebuilt in September 1971, restoring service on the entirety of the line.[2]

Services

At Pukchung the line serves the Pukchung Machine Complex factory, while beyond the station at the town of Tasado, it continues on to serve the Korean People's Navy base at Tasado Port.[1] Coal, metal and metal products, fertilisers, agricultural products and materials required at the navy base are the major commodities shipped on the line.[2]

There are five daily return commuter trains between Ryongch'ŏn and Tasado.[2]

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	Ryongch'ŏn	룡천 (龍川)	Yangsi	양시 (楊市)	P'yŏngŭi Line
3.5	3.5	Pukchung	북중 (北中)			Station relocated
5.0	5.0	Pukchung	북중 (北中)
10.5	7.0	Ryongamp'o	룡암포 (龍岩浦)
16.8	3.6	Sinjŏngri	신정리 (信井里)
20.5	3.7	Tasado	다사도 (多獅島)
24.1	3.6	Tasadohang (Tasado Port)	다사도항 (多獅島港)			Kwakkot Ch'oe Harbour KPN base

References

1. Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), ISBN 978-4-10-303731-6
2. North Korea Geographic Information: Transportation Geography - Tasado Line (in Korean)
3. 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa Nr. 3841, 8 November 1939
4. 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa Nr. 4837, 19 March 1943