Paengmu Line

Paengmu Line
Overview
Native name백무선(白茂線)
StatusOperational
OwnerChosen Government Railway (1934–1945)
Korean State Railway (since 1945)
LocaleRyanggang,
North Hamgyŏng
Termini
  • Paeg'am Ch'ŏngnyŏn
  • Musan
Stations28
Service
TypeHeavy rail, Regional rail
History
OpenedStages between 1934–1944
Technical
Line length191.7 km (119.1 mi)
Number of tracksSingle track
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) (Paegam–Taet'aek)
762 mm (2 ft 6 in)
Electrification1500 V DC Catenary
(Taet'aek–Kulsong, formerly to Yugok)
Route map

0.0
Paeg'am Ch'ŏngnyŏn
(bridge appx 55 m (180 ft))
(bridge appx 60 m (200 ft))
6.6
Taet'aek
7.9
Taet'aek
11.9
Pukkyesu
sawmill
17.6
Sangdonae
sawmill
(bridge appx 50 m (160 ft))
24.2
Tonae
sawmill
29.2
Sanghwangt'o
(bridge appx 30 m (98 ft))
(bridge appx 45 m (148 ft))
33.8
San'yangdae
(bridge appx 60 m (200 ft))
40.5
Sŏdu
(bridge appx 25 m (82 ft))
(bridge appx 25 m (82 ft))
47.1
Yŏnp'yŏng
(bridge appx 70 m (230 ft))
1.7
Yŏnsu
(bridge on main appx 60 m (200 ft))
(bridge on branch appx 65 m (213 ft))
55.9
0.0
Yŏn'am
58.4
Kulsong
(bridge appx 35 m (115 ft))
63.5
Sangdan
Closed
(bridge appx 120 m (390 ft))
(bridge appx 60 m (200 ft))
68.6
Samsa
Closed
(bridge appx 80 m (260 ft))
(bridge appx 100 m (330 ft))
reservoir of Paektusan Sŏn'gun
Youth Power Station
(bridge appx 120 m (390 ft))
77.4
Ch'ŏnsu
(bridge appx 80 m (260 ft))
(tunnel appx 130 m (430 ft))
86.0
Hahwangt'o
(bridge appx 75 m (246 ft))
90.1
Sanggyŏngpyŏng
(bridge appx 155 m (509 ft))
(bridge appx 195 m (640 ft))
96.1
Hagyŏngpyŏng
Closed
100.5
Yup'yŏngdong
Closed
111.0
Yugok
(tunnel appx 465 m (1,526 ft))
switchback
117.4
Rajŏk
126.9
Samyu
(tunnel appx 155 m (509 ft))
129.5
Sodo
136.8
Yŏnsa
(bridge appx 120 m (390 ft))
(bridge appx 50 m (160 ft))
143.4
Hambuk Sinjang
150.1
Yŏnsu
(tunnel appx 125 m (410 ft))
(bridge appx 125 m (410 ft))
(bridge appx 175 m (574 ft))
(bridge appx 115 m (377 ft))
(bridge appx 130 m (430 ft))
158.4
Tuam
(bridge appx 90 m (300 ft))
164.8
Yŏnsang
(tunnel appx 510 m (1,670 ft))
174.1
Hŭngam
(tunnel appx 70 m (230 ft))
(tunnel appx 85 m (279 ft))
(tunnel appx 45 m (148 ft))
(tunnel appx 25 m (82 ft))
(tunnel appx 80 m (260 ft))
181.2
Namch'on
186.0
Tokso
(bridge appx 55 m (180 ft))
(tunnel appx 120 m (390 ft))
191.7
Musan
Paengmu Line
Chosŏn'gŭl
백무선
Hancha
Revised RomanizationBaengmu-seon
McCune–ReischauerPaengmu-sŏn

The Paengmu Line is a partially electrified narrow gauge line of the Korean State Railway running from Paeg'am on the Paektusan Ch'ŏngnyŏn Line to Musan on the Musan Line, in the Ryanggang and North Hamgyŏng provinces of North Korea.[1]

The electrified section originally ran 111 km (69 mi) from Paeg'am Ch'ŏngnyŏn station to Yugok, whence the remaining 80.7 km (50.1 mi) to the terminus at Musan remained unelectrified. Since the closure of part of the line due to the construction of a reservoir, the line has been split into two disconnected sections, the electrified Paeg'am—Kulsong and the non-electrified Ch'ŏnsu—Musan sections. A new standard gauge section from Paeg'am to Taet'aek, roughly paralleling the narrow-gauge line, was built in 2013.[2]

History

[edit]

In 1927, the Government-General of Korea formulated a "12-Year Plan for Railways in Chosen", under which the railway network of the Korean Peninsula was to be greatly expanded.[3] Although not part of that 12-year plan, it was decided to build the Paengmu Line for the transport of forest products and to aid in the development of the area. Construction was started at Paeg'am' by the Chosen Government Railway on 16 November 1932,[4] and the first section, from Paeg'am to San'yangdae, was opened in September 1934.[5] The line was extended to Yŏn'am in September of the following year[6] and to Yup'yŏngdong in October 1936.[7] Service on the Yup'yŏngdong—Yŏnsa section began in October 1939,[8] but the final section to Musan, connecting the line to the Musan Line, was completed only in December 1944.[9]

The names of several stations were changed over the years following the establishment of the DPRK, with Paeg'am Station becoming Paeg'am Ch'ŏngnyŏn Station, Hambuk Sinjang Station becoming Sinjang Station (this station was subsequently closed), Hambuk Mun'am Station becoming Tuam Station, and Sinyang Station becoming Samyu Station. Electrification of the section from Paeg'am to Yugok was completed in August 1991.[10]

In August 1980, Kim Il Sung ordered the construction of a new, northern east–west transversal line to run from Manp'o on the Manp'o Line to Hoeryŏng on the Hambuk Line.[11] The Pukpu Line, as the planned line was called (북부, pukpu, means "northern"), was to have been built in three stages: Manp'o to Hyesan, Hyesan to Musan, and Musan to Hoeryŏng;[12] to save on labour and expenditures, the new line was to make use of existing rail lines where possible - the Hŭngam–Musan section of the Paengmu Line was to have been regauged.[12] However, this plan was only partially realised before it was abandoned in the 1990s. The plans were revived again in the mid-2000s, and work began on the second stage, in the form of the shortening and regauging of the Samjiyŏn Line from Hyesan to Motka.[13] Work stopped and started several times, until finally work on the Hyesan–Motka section was completed in April 2017,[14] but the plans to continue construction of the line to Musan are not currently being pursued.[15]

Construction of the reservoir of the Paektusan Sŏngun Youth Power Station led to the flooding of part of the line,[2] resulting in the closure of the section between Ch'ŏnsu and Kulsong; since the closure, the line is electrified only between Paeg'am and Kulsong.

Construction of the line took place as follows:

Date Section Length
1 September 1934 Paeg'am–Sanyangdae[16] 33.8 km (21.0 mi)
1 September 1935 Sanyangdae–Yŏn'am[17] 22.1 km (13.7 mi)
16 October 1936 Yŏn'am-Yup'yŏngdong[7] 44.6 km (27.7 mi)
1 October 1939 Yup'yŏngdong–Yŏnsa[18] 36.3 km (22.6 mi)
1 December 1944 Yŏnsa–Musan[9] 54.9 km (34.1 mi)

Route

[edit]

An orange background in the "Distance" box indicates that section of the line is not electrified narrow-gauge; a pink background indicates that section is electrified narrow gauge. The Paegam—Taet'aek section is duplicated by an incomplete electrified standard gauge.

Distance (km) Station Name Former Name
Total S2S Transcribed Chosŏn'gŭl (Hanja) Transcribed Chosŏn'gŭl (Hanja) Notes
0.0 0.0 Paeg'am Ch'ŏngnyŏn 백암청년 (白岩靑年) Paeg'am 백암 (白岩) Paektusan Ch'ŏngnyŏn Line
6.6 6.6 Taet'aek 대택 (大澤) Parallel incomplete standard gauge line ends
11.9 5.3 Pukkyesu 북계수 (北溪水)
17.6 5.7 Sangdonae
(Upper Tonae)
상도내 (上島內)
24.2 6.6 Tonae 도내 (島內)
29.2 5.0 Sanghwangt'o 상황토 (上黃土)
33.8 4.6 Sanyangdae 산양대 (山羊台)
40.5 6.7 Sŏdu 서두 (西頭)
47.1 6.6 Yŏnp'yŏng 연평 (延坪)
55.9 8.8 Yŏn'am 연암 (延岩)
58.4 2.5 Kulsong 굴송 (屈松)
63.5 5.1 Sangdan 상단 (上坍) Closed.
Flooded by reservoir of
Paektusan Sŏngun Youth Power Station
68.6 5.1 Samsa 삼사 (三社) Closed.
Flooded by reservoir of
Paektusan Sŏngun Youth Power Station
77.4 8.8 Ch'ŏnsu 천수 (天水) No longer electrified.
86.0 8.6 Hahwangt'o 하황토 (下黃土) No longer electrified.
90.1 4.1 Sanggyŏngp'yŏng
(Upper Kyŏngp'yŏng)
상경평 (上境坪) No longer electrified.
96.1 6.0 Hagyŏngp'yŏng
(Lower Kyŏngp'yŏng)
하경평 (下境坪) Closed.
No longer electrified.
100.5 4.4 Yup'yŏngdong 유평동 (楡坪洞) Closed.
No longer electrified.
111.0 10.5 Yugok 유곡 (楡谷) No longer electrified.
117.4 6.4 Rajŏk 라적 (羅跡)
126.9 9.5 Samyu 삼유 (三楡) Sinyang 신양 (新陽)
129.5 2.6 Sodo 소도 (小桃)
136.8 9.1 Yŏnsa 연사 (延社)
143.4 6.6 Hambuk Sinjang 함북신장 (咸北新章) Closed.
150.1 6.7 Yŏnsu 연수 (延水)
158.4 8.3 Tuam 두암 (頭岩) Hambuk Mun'am 함북문암 (咸北文岩)
164.8 6.4 Yŏnsang 연상 (延上)
174.1 9.3 Hŭngam 흥암 (興巖)
181.2 7.1 Namch'on 남촌 (南村)
186.0 4.8 Tokso 독소 (篤所) Flag stop.
191.7 5.7 Musan 무산 (茂山) Musan Line

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), ISBN 978-4-10-303731-6
  2. ^ a b https://www.nknews.org/2013/10/three-new-north-korean-railway-updates/ Three New North Korean Railway Updates, Curtis Melvin, 8 October 2013
  3. ^ I, Yongsang et al, 한국 철도의 역사와 발전 II (Hanguk Ch'ŏldoŭi Yŏksawa Paljŏn), BG Book Gallery, Seoul, p. 49. ISBN 9788964950531
  4. ^ Korail, 철도주요연표(The Principal Chronicle of the Korean Railway) 2010, 2010
  5. ^ http://newslibrary.naver.com/viewer/index.nhn?articleId=1934083000209102001&edtNo=2&printCount=1&publishDate=1934-08-30&officeId=00020&pageNo=2&printNo=4932&publishType=00010 백두산 밑으로! 무산선 일부 개주(開週), 《동아일보》, 1934.08.30.
  6. ^ http://newslibrary.naver.com/viewer/index.nhn?articleId=1935081600209202017&editNo=2&printCount=1&publishDate=1935-08-16&officeId=00020&pageNo=2&printNo=5283&publishType=00020 백무, 혜산 양선(兩線) 구월부터 개업, 《동아일보》, 1935.08.16.
  7. ^ a b 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 2922, 8 October 1936
  8. ^ http://newslibrary.naver.com/viewer/index.nhn?articleId=1939091400209102022&edtNo=2&printCount=1&publishDate=1939-09-14&officeId=00020&pageNo=2&printNo=6490&publishType=00010 유평→연사간 시월부터개통, 《동아일보》, 1939.09.14.
  9. ^ a b 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 5345, 28 November 1944
  10. ^ 조선향토대백과, 2008.
  11. ^ 북한 북부철길 개건사업 마감단계.. ‘제2의 마식령속도’ 창조
  12. ^ a b 북부 철길 건설
  13. ^ 北, 백두산 관광철도 공사 재개한듯, 《뉴시스》, 2015.05.29.
  14. ^ 북, ‘혜산-삼지연’간 철도공사 완공
  15. ^ 북, 외화벌이 급해 북부 윤환선 포기, 《자유아시아방송》, 2015.06.10.
  16. ^ 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 2277, 11 August 1934
  17. ^ 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 2583, 21 August 1935
  18. ^ 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 3795, 12 September 1939
  • 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 502–503