Hambuk Line

Hambuk Line
Overview
Type Heavy rail, Regional rail
Status Operational
Locale North Hamgyŏng
Rasŏn
Termini Ch'ŏngjin Ch'ŏngnyŏn
Rajin
Stations 51
Operation
Opened Stages between 1916-1935
Owner Korean State Railway
Operator(s) Korean State Railway
Technical
Line length 325.1 km (202.0 mi)
Number of tracks Double track (Susŏng - Komusan)
Double track (Hongŭi-Rajin)
Single track
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
partly with 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 27⁄32 in)
(Dual Gauge, Hongŭi-Rajin)
Electrification 3000 V DC Overhead lines
Route map
Legend
 Ch'ŏngjin Port Line, P'yŏngra Line
 0.0 Ch'ŏngjin Ch'ŏngnyŏn
 Ch'ŏngam
 P'yŏngra Line
 Kangdŏk Line
 7.8 Susŏng
 ↑Ch'ŏngjin/Puryŏng↓
 13.4 Sŏngmak
 21.2 Changhŭng
 Hyŏngje
 35.8 Puryŏng
 42.1 Komusan
 Musan Line
 Sŏkpong
 54.5 Ch'angp'yŏng
 ↑Puryŏng/Hoeryŏng↓
 61.8 Chŏn'gŏ-ri
 67.9 P'ungsan
 Ch'angdu
 79.5 Chungdo
 85.5 Taedŏk
92.6 Hoeryŏng Ch'ŏngnyŏn

Hoeryŏng Colliery Line
 93.5 Sinhoeryŏng
 96.3 Kŭmsaeng
 102.0 Koryŏngjin
 
0.0
 Sinhakp'o
Sech'ŏn Branch
8.6 Sech'ŏn
110.3 Hakp'o
14.4 Chungbong
 119.7 Sinjŏn
 126.1 Kanp'yŏng
 ↑Hoeryŏng/Onsŏng↓
 133.0 Sambong
 Chaokai Line
 136.2 Hasambong Closed 1933
142.1
0.0
 Chongsŏng
Tongp'o Branch
147.3 Soam Closed 1944
15.6 Tongp'o
Sŏngp'yŏng Branch
150.3
0.0
 Kangal-li (Tonggwan)
11.5 Sŏngp'yŏng
 156.2 Sugup'o
 162.9 Kangyang
For Tumen, China
 169.0 Namyang
 172.9 P'ungri
 179.0 Seseon
 183.5 Onsŏng
 189.0 P'ung'in
 198.6 Hwangp'a
 Old East Manchuria Railway
 208.2 Hunyung
 ↑Onsŏng/Kyŏngwŏn↓
 213.6 Hamyŏn
 217.9 Saebyŏl
 225.2 Nongpo
 229.0 Ryongdong-ri
 237.4 Singŏn
 Kogŏnwŏn Line
 ↑Kyŏngwŏn/Kyŏnghŭng↓
 248.0 Sinasan
255.0
0.0
 Songhak
Ch'undu Branch
Ch'undu
 Hoeam Line
 261.2 Haksong
 ↑Kyŏnghŭng/Rason↓
 269.9 Ch'ŏnghak
 279.6 Sahoe
 285.6 Hongŭi
Hongŭi Line
 Mulgol
 292.7 Kuryongp'yŏng
 300.7 Ungsang
 308.1 Tongsŏnbong Closed
313.0
0.0
 Sŏnbong
Sŭngri Branch
4.2 Sŭngri
 Paekhwa
 319.2 Kwan'gok
3.0 Namrajin Closed
Namrajin Branch Closed
328.2
0.0
 Rajin
 P'yŏngra Line
Hambuk Line
Chosŏn'gŭl 함북선
Hancha 咸北線
Revised Romanization Hambukseon
McCune–Reischauer Hambuksŏn
The Hambuk Line near Kanpyong

The Hambuk Line is an electrified standard-gauge trunk line of the North Korean State Railway running from the former Panjuk Station (just north of Ch'ŏngjin) on the P'yŏngra Line to Rajin, likewise on the P'yŏngra line.[1]

The Hambuk line connects to the Hongŭi Line at Hongŭi, which is North Korea's only rail connection to Russia. There is also a connection at Namyang to the Chinese railway network via the bridge over the Tumen River between Namyang and Tumen, China.

Although located entirely inside North Hamgyŏng Province, this line is one of the DPRK's main trunk railways. The line's total length is 325.1 km (202.0 mi); in terms of length, it is the second-longest rail line in the country after the P'yŏngra Line, accounting for 7.7% of the national total of railway lines.[2]

Over ten rail lines - secondary mainlines and branchlines - connect to the Hambuk Line, including the Musan Line, the Hoeryŏng Colliery Line, the Kogŏnwŏn Line, the Hoeam Line, and the Hongŭi Line, along with numerous branchlines. The Hambuk Line connects three cities and four counties - Ch'ŏngjin City, Puryŏng County, Hoeryŏng City, Onsŏng County, Kyŏngwŏn County, Kyŏnghŭng County, and the Rason Special City.

In terms of regional characteristics, the Hambuk Line passes through two largely distinct areas. It runs inland in mountainous terrain between Panjuk to Hoeryŏng, then along the Tumen River and the northern border of the country all the way to Rajin. The steepest part of the line is between Puryŏng and Ch'angp'yŏng, where the ruling gradient is over 20‰. Conversely, the route on the Tumen River's bank along the national border is comparatively flat.

There is double track from Susŏng, where the line connects to the Kangdŏk line, to Komusan, where the Musan line begins; the dual-gauge section (standard and Russian gauges) from Hongŭi to Rajin is also double-tracked.

There are service facilities for locomotives in Hoeryŏng and Sambong and for rolling stock in Namyang.[2]

History

The Hambuk Line was created by the combination of a number of lines that were originally built by several different railway companies.[1]

The Ch'ŏngjin-Hoeryŏng section was originally part of the Hamgyŏng Line of the Chosen Government Railway; this section was completed in three stages: Ch'ŏngjin-Ch'angp'yŏng (55.7 km) was completed on 5 November 1916, the Ch'angp'yŏng-P'ungsan section (13.4 km) on 16 September 1917, and the P'ungsan-Hoeryŏng section (24.7 km) on 25 November 1917.[3]

The Hoeryŏng-Tonggwanjin (now called Kangal-li) line was built by the privately owned Tomun Railway Company, and was opened in three stages: the Hoeryŏng-Sangsambong (now called Sambong) section (40.4 km) was completed on 5 January 1920, the Sangsambong-Chongsŏn section (9.1 km) on 1 December 1922, and the Chongsŏn-Tonggwanjin section (8.2 km) on 1 November 1924. This line was nationalised on 1 April 1929, becoming the West Tomun Line of the Chosen Government Railway.[4]

In order to create the shortest possible route from Japan to eastern Manchuria, the Chosen Government Railway began construction of a line from Unggi (now Sŏnbong) to Tonggwanjin; the first section, from Unggi to Sinasan, was completed on 16 November 1929. The line was subsequently extended towards Tonggwanjin in several stages: Sinasan to Hunyung was completed on 1 October 1930, from Hunyung to Unsŏng on 20 October 1931, from Unsŏng to P'ungri on 1 November 1932,[5] from P'ungri to Namyang on 1 December 1932, and the final gap from Namyang to Tonggwanjin was finished on 1 August 1933, completing the Tomun Line from Hoeryŏng to Unggi, and at the same time, Tonggwanjin Station was renamed to Tonggwan Station.[6]

In 1933, the Manchuria National Railway completed its line from Xinjing (now Changchun), the capital of Manchukuo, to the Tumen River opposite Namyang, connecting it to the West Tomun Line and completing the connection from Unggi on the East Sea to Xinjing.

In October 1934, management of the entire line from Ch'ŏngjin to Unggi was transferred to the South Manchuria Railway; at that time, the Hoeryŏng-Sangsambong section was added to the existing (Wŏnsan-Ch'ŏngjin) Hamgyŏng Line, the Sambong-Namyang section was renamed the North Chosen Western Line (Puksŏn-sŏbusŏn, 북선서부선), and the Namyang-Unggi section was renamed North Chosen East Line (Puksŏn-tongbusŏn, 북선동부선).[7]

In 1935, the port at Rajin was opened as an alternative to Unggi; at the same time, on 1 November 1935 the South Manchuria Railway opened the Ungri Line to connect Unggi to Rajin. An express train named "Asahi" from Xinjing, Manchukuo to Rajin was put into service in 1936 to connect to the ferry to Japan.[7]

In 1940, the Ch'ŏngjin-Sangsambong line was transferred back to the Chosen Government Railway, and was made part of the Hamgyŏng Line running from Wŏnsan to Sangsambong. An express train from Seoul to Mudanjiang via this line was inaugurated at this time.

Service on the line was suspended after the Soviet invasion at the end of the Second World War. The damage sustained by the line during the war was slow to be repaired due to strained relations between the Soviets and the Korean People's Committees. However, after the outbreak of the Korean War, the Soviets built a branchline from Baranovsky on the Vladivostok branch of the Soviet Far Eastern Railway to Khasan. The station at Khasan was opened on 28 September 1951, and in 1952 a wooden railway bridge was built across the Tumen River to Tumangang in North Korea,[8] connecting to the newly built Hongŭi Line from Tumangang to Hongŭi on the Hambuk Line.

Following the end of the Korean War, the Hambuk Line - as the Ch'ŏngjin-Namyang-Rajin line had been renamed - was rebuilt with Soviet and Chinese assistance. The Korean-Russian Friendship Bridge across the Tumen River was commissioned on 9 August 1959, replacing the temporary wooden bridge, which had grown to be insufficient for the traffic crossing the river,[9] and in 1965 the P'yŏngra Line was completed to Rajin, meeting up with the terminus of the Hambuk Line.

In 2008 work was begun to convert the line from the DPRK-Russia border to the port at Rajin to dual (standard and Russian) gauge, including the entirety of the Hongŭi Line and the Hongŭi-Rajin section of the Hambuk Line.[10]

Section Opening Date Original Owner Original Name Length
Chongjin-Ch'angp'yŏng 5 November 1916 Chosen Government Railway Hamgyŏng Line 55.7 km
Ch'angp'yeong-P'ungsan 16 September 1917 Chosen Government Railway Hamgyŏng Line 13.4 km
P'ungsan-Hoeryong 25 November 1917 Chosen Government Railway Hamgyŏng Line 24.7 km
Hoeryŏng-Sangsambong 5 January 1920 Tomun Railway Co West Tomun Line 40.4 km
Sangsambong-Chongsŏn 1 December 1922 Tomun Railway Co West Tomun Line 9.1 km
Chongsŏn-Tonggwanjin 1 November 1924 Tomun Railway Co West Tomun Line 8.2 km
Tonggwanjin-Namyang 1 August 1933 Chosen Government Railway East Tomun Line 18.7 km
Namyang-P'ungri 1 December 1932 Chosen Government Railway East Tomun Line 3.9 km
P'ungri-Unsŏng 1 November 1932 Chosen Government Railway East Tomun Line 5.5 km
Unsŏng-Hunyung 20 October 1931 Chosen Government Railway East Tomun Line 24.7 km
Hunyung-Sinasan 1 October 1930 Chosen Government Railway East Tomun Line 39.8 km
Sinasan-Unggi 16 November 1929 Chosen Government Railway East Tomun Line 65 km
Unggi-Rajin 1 November 1935 South Manchuria Railway Ungra Line 15.2 km

Services

Freight

Much of the on-line freight traffic involves the transport of magnetite and ironstone from the Musan Mining Complex and other mines on the Musan Line and coal from mines on the Hoeryŏng Colliery Line and the Kogŏnwŏn Line, to the Kim Chaek Iron & Steel Complex at Kimchaek and the Ch'ŏngjin Steel Works in Ch'ŏngjin, and import-export traffic to and from Russia via the Hongŭi Line and via Namyang Station to and from China; the primary exports shipped through Namyang to China are magnetite, talc and steel, and the main import is coke.[2]

Passenger

Three pairs of passenger express trains are known to operate on this line:[1]

There are also long-distance trains between Kalma on the Pyongra Line and Rajin via Ch'ŏngjin and Hoeryŏng; between Ch'ŏngjin and Rajin via Hoeryŏng; between Haeju on the Hwanghae Ch'ŏngnyŏn Line and Unsŏng via Ch'ŏngjin and Hoeryŏng; and between Tanch'ŏn on the P'yŏngra Line and Tumangang via Ch'ŏngjin and Hoeryŏng.[2]

There are also various commuter trains that serve the main industrial zones along the line, including trains 623/624 operating between Rajin and Sŏnbong;[1] between Kogŏnwŏn on the Kogŏnwŏn Line and Hunyung via Singŏn; between Hoeryŏng and Ch'ŏn'gŏ-ri; between Ch'angp'yŏng and Sŏkpong; between Namyang and Hunyung; and between Hoeryŏng and Sech'ŏn via Sinhakp'o.[2]

Route

A yellow background in the "Distance" box indicates that section of the line is not electrified.

Main Line

Distance Station Name (Transcribed) Station Name (Chosŏn'gŭl) Connections
0.0 Ch'ŏngjin Ch'ŏngnyŏn 청진 청년 P'yŏngra Line
3.1 Ch'ŏngam 청암
7.8 Susŏng 수성 Kangdŏk Line
13.4 Sŏngmak 석막
21.2 Changhŭng 장흥
24.1 Hyŏngje 형제
38.5 Puryŏng 부령
42.1 Komusan 고무산 Musan Line
44.7 Sŏkpong 석봉
57.4 Ch'angp'yŏng 창평
64.7 Chŏn'gŏ-ri 전거리
70.8 P'ungsan 풍산
69.4 Ch'angdu 창두
82.4 Chungdo 중도
88.4 Taedŏk 대덕
95.5 Hoeryŏng Ch'ŏngnyŏn 회령 청년 Hoeryŏng T'an'gwang Line
99.2 Kŭmsaeng 금생
104.9 Koryŏngjin 고령진
104.3 Sinhakp'o 신학포 Sech'ŏn Branch
113.2 Hakp'o 학포
122.6 Sinjŏn 신전
129.0 Kanp'yŏng 간평
135.9 Sambong 삼봉
145.0 Chongsŏng 종성 Tongp'o Branch
147.2 Kangal-li 강안리 Sŏngp'yŏng Branch
159.1 Sugup'o 수구포
165.8 Kangyang 강양
171.9 Namyang 남양 (-->Tumen, China)
175.8 P'ungri 풍리
186.4 Unsŏng 운성
191.9 P'ung'in 풍인
201.5 Hwangp'a 황파
211.1 Hunyung 룬융
216.3 Hamyŏn 하면
220.8 Saebyŏl 새졀
229.1 Kongp'o 공포
231.9 Ryongdang-ri 룡당리
240.3 Singŏn 신건 Kogŏnwŏn Line
250.9 Sinasan 신아산
257.9 Songhak 송학 Ch'undu Branch
264.1 Haksong 학송 Hoeam Line
272.8 Ch'ŏnghak 청학
282.5 Sahoe 사회
288.5 Hongŭi 홍의 Hongŭi Line
295.6 Kuryongp'yŏng 구룡평
303.6 Ungsang 웅상
311.0 Tongsŏngbong 동성봉
315.9 Sŏnbong 선봉 Sŭngri Branch
322.1 Kwan'gok 관곡
331.1 Rajin 라진 P'yŏngra Line

Sech'ŏn Branch

Electrified.

Distance Station Name (Transcribed) Station Name (Chosŏn'gŭl) Connections
0.0 Sinhakp'o 신학포 Hambuk Line
8.6 Sech'ŏn 세천
14.4 Chungbong 중봉

Tongp'o Branch

Not electrified.

Distance Station Name (Transcribed) Station Name (Chosŏn'gŭl) Connections
0.0 Chongsŏn 종선 Hambuk Line
15.6 Tongp'o 동포

Sŏngp'yŏng Branch

Not electrified.

Distance Station Name (Transcribed) Station Name (Chosŏn'gŭl) Connections
0.0 Kangal-li 강안리 Hambuk Line
11.5 Sŏngp'yŏng 성평

Ch'undu Branch

Not electrified.

Distance Station Name (Transcribed) Station Name (Chosŏn'gŭl) Connections
Songhak 송학 Hambuk Line
Ch'undu 춘두

Sŭngri Branch

Not electrified.

Distance Station Name (Transcribed) Station Name (Chosŏn'gŭl) Connections
0.0 Sŏnbong 선봉 Hambuk Line
4.2 Sŭngri 승리

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), ISBN 978-4-10-303731-6
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 The traffic and geography in North Korea: Hambuk Line (in Korean)
  3. ↑ Japanese Government Railways, 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, 1937, pp 498–501, 504–505 (Japanese)
  4. ↑ 朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 669, 28 March 1929 (in Japanese)
  5. ↑ 朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 1741, 26 October 1932 (in Japanese)
  6. ↑ 朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 1963, 26 July 1933 (in Japanese)
  7. 1 2 南満州鉄道株式会社全路線
  8. ↑ Communist Logistics in the Korean War, 1995
  9. ↑ Железнодорожные переговоры
  10. ↑ "Khasan-Rajin line renovation". ITAR TASS. 2013-09-22.

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