The P'yŏngra Line is an electrified standard-gauge trunk line of the
Korean State Railway
The Korean State Railway is the operating arm of the Ministry of Railways of North Korea (), commonly called the State Rail () and has its headquarters at Pyongyang, P'yŏngyang. The current Minister of Railways is Chang Jun-song.
History
19 ...
in
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...
, running from
P'yŏngyang
Pyongyang () is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is sometimes labeled as the "Capital of the Revolution" (). Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 ...
to
Rason
Rason (formerly Rajin-Sŏnbong; ) is a North Korean special city and ice-free port in the Sea of Japan in the North Pacific Ocean on the northeast tip of North Korea. It is in the Kwanbuk region and location of the Rason Special Economic Zone. ...
, where it connects with the
Hambuk Line
The Hambuk Line is an electrified standard-gauge trunk line of the Korean State Railway in North Korea, running from Ch'ŏngjin on the P'yŏngra Line to Rajin, likewise on the P'yŏngra line.Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no ...
.
[Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), ] It is North Korea's main northeast–southwest rail line.
History
P'yŏngwon Line
Hamgyŏng Line
The section from Kowŏn to Kŭmya was originally opened by the
Chosen Government Railway
Chosen or The Chosen may refer to:
Books
* ''The Chosen'' (Potok novel), a 1967 novel by Chaim Potok
* ''The Chosen'', a 1997 novel by L. J. Smith
* ''The Chosen'' (Pinto novel), a 1999 novel by Ricardo Pinto
* ''The Chosen'' (Karabel book), a b ...
(''Sentetsu'') on 21 July 1916 as part of its
Hamgyŏng Line.
Ch'ŏngra Line
The Ch'ŏngra Line was the name of a line planned by Sentetsu to run from
Ch'ŏngjin to
Rajin. On 1 February 1945 the Ch'ongjin−
Ch'ongam section was opened,
[朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 5394, 31 January 1945 (in Japanese)] however due to the defeat of Japan in the
Pacific War
The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...
, Sentetsu was unable to complete the remainder of the line. After the end of the
Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
, construction of the line was resumed with the support of
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
and the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, being completed on 10 June 1965.
Later, the P'yŏngwon Line, the Ch'ŏngra Line, and the
Kowŏn−Ch'ŏngjin section of the Hamgyŏng Line were merged to create the P'yŏngra Line. With the construction of a new section between
Kalli and
Paesanjŏm the
Ryongsŏng Line was separated from the former P'yŏngwon Line; in 1993 construction of the bypass between
Puraesan and Kowŏn was completed.
咸南 高原-浮來山간 새 철도건설
Yonhap News, 6 September 1993
Services
The following passenger trains were scheduled on this line in the 2002 passenger timetable:[Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), pp. 124-125 ]
* Express trains 1/2, operating between P'yŏngyang
Pyongyang () is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is sometimes labeled as the "Capital of the Revolution" (). Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 ...
and Hyesan Ch'ŏngnyŏn, run on this line between P'yŏngyang and Kilju;
* Express trains 3/4, operating between West P'yŏngyang and Hyesan Ch'ŏngnyŏn, run on this line between P'yŏngyang and Kilju;
* Express trains 7/8, operating between P'yŏngyang and Tumangang
Tumangang-dong () is a neighbourhood in Sonbong, Rason, North Korea, near the China–North Korea–Russia tripoint where the borders of the three countries converge. It is also the closest town in North Korea to the border with Russia, being ...
and Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
, run on this line between P'yŏngyang and Rajin;
* Express trains 9/10, operating between P'yŏngyang and Musan, run on this line between P'yŏngyang and Ch'ŏngjin;
* Express trains 11/12, operating between P'yŏngyang and Kŭmgol, run on this line between P'yŏngyang and Yŏhaejin;
* Express trains 13/14, operating between P'yŏngyang and P'yŏnggang, run on this line between P'yŏngyang and Kowŏn;
* Semi-express trains 104-107/108-111, operating between Haeju Ch'ŏngnyŏn and Manp'o Ch'ŏngnyŏn, run on this line between P'yŏngyang and Sunch'ŏn;
* Semi-express trains 113/114, operating between West P'yŏngyang and Unsŏng, run on this line between West P'yŏngyang and Ch'ŏngjin;
* Semi-express trains 117/118, operating between Taedonggang
Taedonggang () is a brand of North Korean beer brewed by the state-owned Taedonggang Brewing Company based in Pyongyang. There are four brands of beer marketed as Taedonggang, though the brand known simply as "Taedonggang Beer" is that describe ...
and P'yŏnggang, run on this line between Sinsŏngch'ŏn and Kowŏn;
* Semi-express trains 119-122/120-121, operating between Sinch'ŏn and Ch'ŏngjin Ch'ŏngnyŏn, via the P'yŏngra Line and the Ŭnnyul Line, run on this line between P'yŏngyang and Ch'ŏngjin and taking three days to travel each way;[Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), p. 86 ]
* Semi-express trains 124-125/126-127, operating between Sinŭiju Ch'ŏngnyŏn and Ch'ŏngjin Ch'ŏngnyŏn, run on this line between P'yŏngyang and Ch'ŏngjin;
* Semi-express trains 128-129-130/131-132-133, operating between Kalma and Rajin, run on this line between Kowŏn and Rajin;
* Semi-express trains 134-135/136-137, operating between Manp'o Ch'ŏngnyŏn and Hamhŭng, run on this line between Sunch'ŏn and Hamhŭng;
* Regional trains 202-203-204/205-206-207, operating between Hamhŭng and Sariwŏn, run on this line between Hamhŭng and P'yŏngyang;
* Regional trains 261/262, operating between Hamhŭng and Samgi, run on this line between Ham and Sinbukch'ŏn;
* Regional trains 263/264 operate between Hamhŭng and Tanch'ŏn Ch'ŏngnyŏn;
* Local trains 311/312 and 313/314 operate between P'yŏngyang and Paesanjŏm - these trains, intended for commuter use by scientists, are operated with the Juche-class EMU
The emu (; ''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is a species of flightless bird endemism, endemic to Australia, where it is the Tallest extant birds, tallest native bird. It is the only extant taxon, extant member of the genus ''Dromaius'' and the ...
;
Route
A yellow background in the "Distance" box indicates that section of the line is not electrified.
References
* Japanese Government Railways
The Japanese Government Railways (JGR) was the national rail transport, railway system directly operated by the until 1949. It was a predecessor of Japanese National Railways and the later Japan Railways Group.
Name
The English name "Japanese ...
, 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 496, 498~501 (Japanese)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pyongra Line
Railway lines in North Korea
Standard-gauge railways in North Korea