Suin Line (1937–1995)

The Suin Line (水仁線, Suijin-sen) was a 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) narrow gauge railway line built by the Chōsen Railway (Chōtetsu) during colonial-era Korea, located in Gyeonggi Province.

Suin Line
Overview
Native name수인선(水仁線)
StatusClosed
OwnerChōsen Gyeongdong Railway (1937–1942)
Chōsen Railway (1942–1945)
LocaleGyeonggi
Termini
Stations17
Service
TypeHeavy rail, Regional rail
Passenger/Freight
Operator(s)Chōsen Gyeongdong Railway;
Chōsen Railway
History
Opened1937
Technical
Line length52.0 km (32.3 mi)
Number of tracksSingle track
Track gauge762 mm (2 ft 6 in)
Route map

0.0
Suwon
(Suigen)
Sentetsu Gyeongbu Line
3.9
Gosaek
(Kosaku)
5.8
Omok
(Gomoku)
10.7
Eocheon
(Gyosen)
13.7
Yamok
(Yaboku)
15.1
Binjeong
(Hinchō)
20.0
Illi
(Itsuri)
21.6
Jeongdu
(Jōtō)
27.9
Wongok
(Genkoku)
29.2
Singil
(Shinkitsu)
32.4
Gunja
(Kunshi)
38.6
Sorae
(Sorai)
41.4
Nonhyeon
(Ronken)
42.4
Namdong
(Nantō)
45.8
Munhak
(Bunkaku)
47.0
Songdo
(Matsushima)
52.0
Incheonhang
(Jinsenkō)

History

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The privately owned Chōsen Gyeongdong Railway was granted a licence to build a second railway line to haul salt from Sorae. Starting at Suwon, terminus of the railway's Suryeo Line, a 52.0 km (32.3 mi) line was built to Incheon Port via Sorae, and was opened for operation on 5 August 1937.[1] On 26 October 1942, the Chōsen Gyeongdong Railway was acquired by the Chōsen Railway,[2] which continued operating the line until the end of the Pacific War.

Following the partition of Korea and the establishment of the Republic of Korea, on 17 May 1946 Chōtetsu, along with all other railways in the country, was nationalised,[3] and the new Korean National Railroad took over operation of the Suin Line. Over the following years, the KNR continued to operate the line, keeping the Suin Line name but making numerous changes; recently, the line has been undergoing conversion to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge[when?][citation needed].

Services

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In the November 1942 timetable, the last issued prior to the start of the Pacific War, Chōtetsu operated four daily, third-class-only local passenger trains:[4]

Distance
(read down)
- - - - Station name Distance
(read up)
- - - -
0.0 05:00 08:52 13:00 17:00 Suwon 52.0 08:19 12:00 16:41 19:05
52.0 07:14 12:38 15:11 19:10 Incheon Port 0.0 05:00 09:44 12:46 16:44

Route

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水仁線 - 수인선 - Suijin Line - Suin Line
Distance Station name
Total; km S2S; km Transcribed, Korean Transcribed, Japanese Hunminjeongeum Hanja/Kanji Connections
0.0 0.0 Suwon Suigen 수원 水原 Suryeo Line,
Sentetsu Gyeongbu Line
3.9 3.9 Gosaek Kosaku 고색 古索
5.8 1.9 Omok Gomoku 오목 梧木
10.7 4.9 Eocheon Gyosen 어천 漁川
13.7 3.0 Yamok Yaboku 야목 野牧
15.1 1.4 Binjeong Hinchō 빈정 濱汀
20.0 4.9 Illi Itsuri 일리 一里
21.6 1.6 Seongdo Jōtō 성두 城頭
27.9 6.3 Wongok Genkoku 원곡 元谷
29.2 1.3 Singil Shinkitsu 신길 新吉
32.4 3.2 Gunja Kunshi 군자 君子
38.6 6.2 Sorae Sorai 소래 蘇萊
41.4 2.9 Nonhyeon Ronken 논현 論峴
42.4 0.9 Namdong Nantō 남동 南洞
45.8 3.4 Munhak Bunkaku 문학 文鶴
47.0 1.5 Songdo Matsushima 송도 松島
52.0 5.0 Incheonhang
Incheon Port
Jinsenkō 인천항 仁川港

References

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  1. ^ 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 3168, 6 August 1937
  2. ^ 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 4729, 4 November 1942
  3. ^ Article 2, Military Administration Ordinance No. 75, Korean Railroads. United States Army Command, Korea Military Command, 7 May 1946
  4. ^ Tōa Travel Co. (東亜旅行社), Ministry of Railways Combined Timetable 1 November 1942 (鐵道省編纂時刻表昭和17年11月1日)