The Kangdŏk Line is an electrified standard-gauge secondary line of the North Korean State Railway running from Namgangdŏk on the P'yŏngra Line to Susŏng on the Hambuk Line.[1]

Kangdŏk Line
Overview
Native name강덕선(康德線)
StatusOperational
OwnerChosen Government Railway (1941–1945)
Korean State Railway (since 1945)
LocaleCh'ŏngjin-si, North Hamgyŏng
Termini
Stations4
Service
TypeHeavy rail, Passenger & freight rail
Regional rail
History
Opened1 December 1941
Technical
Line length15.2 km (9.4 mi)
Number of tracksSingle track
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification3000 V DC Overhead line
Route map

Kangdŏk Line
Ch'ŏngjin East Harbour
Kŭmbawi
Ch'ŏngjinhang
Panjuk
Ch'ŏngjin Ch'ŏngnyŏn
15.2
Susŏng
7.3
Kŭndong
Engine depot
5.5
Ch'ŏngjin Choch'ajang
Sunam
Ch'ŏngjin Shipyard
Ch'umok-tong
Ch'ŏngjin Chemical Fibre Complex
aluminium works; Sea of Japan
Ch'ŏngjin West Harbour
Songp'yŏng
Ch'ŏngjin Thermal Power Station
1.3
0.0
Kangdŏk
0.0
Namgangdŏk
Kangdok Line
Chosŏn'gŭl
강덕선
Hancha
Revised RomanizationGangdeok-seon
McCune–ReischauerKangdŏk-sŏn

Ch'ŏngjin Choch'ajang, Ch'ŏngjin's large marshalling yard, is located on this line.[1]

History

edit

The first rail line to reach Susŏng was the Ch'ŏngjinCh'angp'yŏng section of the Hamgyŏng Line, opened by the Chosen Government Railway (Sentetsu) on 5 November 1916. On 31 July 1917, the management of Sentetsu was transferred from the Railway Bureau of the Government-General of Korea to the South Manchuria Railway (Mantetsu). Under Mantetsu management, construction of the Hamgyŏng Line was accelerated, and to handle increasing freight traffic on the line, a large marshalling yard, called Ch'ŏngjin Choch'ajang, was built near Ch'ŏngjin.[1] To access this, a new 14.9 km (9.3 mi) line between Ranam and Susŏng was opened on 10 December 1919; Kangdŏk Station, located 7.2 km (4.5 mi) from Ranam, was opened on 1 August 1922.

On 1 December 1941, a new line was opened between Ranam and Ch'ŏngjin to allow trains to bypass the Ch'ŏngjin marshalling yard. The existing line, running via Kangdŏk and the marshalling yard, was detached from the Hamgyeong Line and designated the Kangdŏk Line; at the same time, a 2.4 km (1.5 mi) connection from Ch'ŏngjin Sŏhang Station (Ch'ŏngjin West Port, today called Songp'yŏng) to Kangdŏk was built, to allow southbound trains to access the marshalling yard without having to reverse at Ranam.[2]

Services

edit

Two passenger trains are known to operate on this line:[1]

  • Local trains 601/604, operating between Ch'ŏngjin Ch'ŏngnyŏn and Kŭndong, run on this line between Namgangdŏk and Kŭndong;
  • Local trains 608/608'609, operating between Kŭndong and Songp'yŏng, run on this line between Kŭndong and Namgangdŏk.

Route

edit

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 Namgangdŏk (South Kangdŏk) 님강덕 (南康德) P'yŏngra Line
1.3 1.3 Kangdŏk 강덕 (康德) Kŭndong Branch
7.3 6.0 Kŭndong 근동 (芹洞) Kŭndong Branch
15.2 7.9 Susŏng 수성 (輸城) Hambuk Line

Kŭndong Branch

edit

Electrified.

Distance (km) Station Name Former Name
Total S2S Transcribed Chosŏn'gŭl (Hanja) Transcribed Chosŏn'gŭl (Hanja) Connections
0.0 0.0 Kangdŏk 강덕 (康德) Kangdŏk Line
5.5 5.5 Ch'ŏngjin Choch'ajang
(Ch'ŏngjin Marshalling Yard)
청진조차장 (淸津操車場)
8.1 2.6 Kŭndong 근동 (芹洞) Kangdŏk Line

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), ISBN 978-4-10-303731-6
  2. ^ 朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 4449, 22 November 1941 (in Japanese)