Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line 1 of the

Seoul Metropolitan Subway The Seoul Metropolitan Subway is a metropolitan railway system consisting of 23 rapid transit, light metro, commuter rail and people mover lines located in northwest South Korea. The system serves most of the Seoul Metropolitan Area includin ...

is a

rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...

and

commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are co ...

line which links central

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

Soyosan Station Soyosan Station is a ground-level metro station on Line 1 of the Seoul Subway in Sangbongam Dong, Dongducheon, South Korea. It is named after the nearby ''Soyosan'' (587 m), a mountain beside the U.S. Army base Camp Casey. It is on this moun ...

in the northeast, Incheon in the southwest, and Sinchang (Soonchunhyang Univ.) via

Suwon Suwon (, ) is the capital and largest city of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea's most populous province which surrounds Seoul, the national capital. Suwon lies about south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety". With a populati ...

and

Cheonan Cheonan (; 천안시, ''Cheonan-si''), also spelled Ch'ŏnan, is a city in South Chungcheong, South Korea. Cheonan has a population of 666,417 (2018), making it the most-populous city or county in South Chungcheong, and the third most-populous ci ...

in the south. The central underground portion of this rail line is the oldest subway section in the Seoul Metropolitan Subway system. Its branches and services cover a large part of the

Seoul Capital Area The Seoul Capital Area (SCA), Sudogwon (, ) or Gyeonggi region (), is the metropolitan area of Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province, located in north-west South Korea. Its population of 26 million (as of 2020) is ranked as the fifth largest ...

; totaling in route length. The underground section between

Seoul Station Seoul Station is a major railway station in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The station is served by the Korail Intercity Lines and the commuter trains of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. Services KTX Seoul Station is the terminus of mos ...

and Cheongnyangni station, which is referred to as Seoul Metro Line 1 (), is currently operated by

Seoul Metro Seoul Transportation Corporation, branded as Seoul Metro (Hangul: ), is a municipal-owned corporation owned by Seoul Metropolitan Government, and one of the two major operators of Seoul Metropolitan Subway with Korail. History * May 31, 2 ...

. The line first opened in 1974 as the Korean National Railroad of Seoul with

through services A through service is a concept of passenger transport that involves a vehicle travelling between lines, networks or operators on a regularly specified schedule, on which the passenger can remain on board without alighting. It may be in form of eith ...

to national mainline railways from Seongbuk station (now: Kwangwoon University station) to Incheon and

Suwon Station Suwon Station is a railway station in the city of Suwon, South Korea. The station was completely redeveloped in 2002 and 2003, and is now integrated with the Aekyung Shopping Mall (AK Plaza). This station serves Inter-city railway Gyeongbu Line ...

s. At the time, the 7.8 km underground portion run by Seoul Metro Corporation—one of Seoul Metro's predecessors—was called Line 1 and labeled red on maps. On the other hand, the remaining sections of the rail line run by Korail were labeled either blue or gray on maps, and the express lines were red. In 2000, the adjacent through-running Korail services from the Gyeongbu, Gyeongin and Gyeongwon Lines were officially bundled together as part of a greater Line 1, and the labeling on maps was changed to the current dark blue color. Frequent service is provided between Soyosan, Dongducheon, Uijeongbu, Cheongnyangni, Seoul, Yongsan, and Guro, where trains split between Incheon in the west and Byeongjeom and Cheonan in the south. Express trains operate from Yongsan and Seoul stations to Dongincheon and Sinchang(Soonchunhyang Univ.) stations. Trains run every 3-6 min in the central route between Seoul Station and Cheongnyangni, every 6-9 min between Seoul and Guro, every 8-10 min between Guro and Incheon and between Guro and Byeongjeom, every 10-15 min from Byeongjeom to Cheonan, and every 35 min between Cheonan and Sinchang and service up to the Dongducheon area and Soyosan station. Trains travel along Gyeongbu (Seoul-Cheonan), Gyeongin (Guro-Incheon), Janghang (Cheonan-Sinchang(Soonchunhyang Univ.)), and Gyeongwon (Hoegi-Soyosan) railway lines. The line runs on the left-hand side of the track, as opposed to the right-hand side of the track like all other Seoul Metropolitan Subway lines (another exception to this is

Seoul Subway Line 4 Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line 4 (dubbed ''The Blue Line'') of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway is a long line crossing from the southwest to the northeast across the Seoul National Capital Area. The central section in Seoul City is operated by ...

although it runs on the right-hand side until Namtaeryeong station, and operates on the left-hand side for the parts afterwards) since railways in Korea generally run on the left side.

Rapid (Express) trains

Korail operates a variety of express "rapid" (급행, 急行) trains for long distance commuter services on Line 1. These services include: * Gyeongin line express services from Yongsan to Dongincheon, operating express between Guro and Dongincheon, including: ** Regular express services, introduced on January 29, 1999, following quadruple-tracking of the Gyeongin Line. ** Faster limited express (특급) trains, introduced on July 7, 2017. * Gyeongbu line express services from Cheongnyangni to Cheonan or Sinchang, operating express between Gasan Digital Complex and Cheonan and running local elsewhere. * Green Gyeongbu line express service from Seoul Station to Cheonan or Sinchang, originating at a platform adjacent to Seoul Station, skipping all stations between

and

Geumcheon-gu Office Station Geumcheon-gu Office Station, formerly known as Siheung Station, is a station on the Line 1 of the Seoul Subway, as well as the Gyeongbu Line. Commuter rail trains on Line 1 travel southwards from here to Anyang, Suwon, Pyeongtaek and Cheonan Stat ...

, making intermediate stops at Anyang, Gunpo, Uiwang, and Sungkyunkwan University, and then following the red Gyeongbu line express service pattern south of Suwon. Northbound services (departing from Cheonan/Sinchang and terminating at Seoul Station) stop at

Yeongdeungpo station Yeongdeungpo station (Station 139) is a ground-level railway station in Seoul, South Korea. The station is located in Yeongdeungpo Dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, and is a stop on the Gyeongbu Line, Honam Line and Seoul Subway Line 1. The station is int ...

, but southbound services are unable to due to the lack of a raised platform. This service was introduced on September 25, 1982. * Gyeongwon line express services from Dongducheon (although several trains originate from Soyosan) to Incheon, operating express between Dongducheon and Kwangwoon University and running local between Incheon and Kwangwoon University. Former express services include: * One late night Gyeongin line express service that originated at Soyosan, made all stops to Guro, then made express stops until Incheon. * Yeongdeungpo-Byeongjeom Gyeongbu line express service, skipping all stations between

Yeongdeungpo Yeongdeungpo District () is an administrative district in southwest Seoul, South Korea. Although the origin of the name is uncertain, the first two syllables are thought to be from "''yeongdeung''" (靈登) or "divine ascent", a shamanic rite. T ...

and

Anyang Anyang (; ) is a prefecture-level city in Henan province, China. The northernmost city in Henan, Anyang borders Puyang to the east, Hebi and Xinxiang to the south, and the provinces of Shanxi and Hebei to its west and north respectively. It had ...

and then following the Yeongsan-Cheonan/Sinchang express service pattern south of Anyang until Byeongjeom. This service was introduced on August 25, 2014 and was discontinued on December 9, 2016. * Two faster Yongsan-Sinchang limited express trains (one in each direction), introduced in 2013. This train only operated on weekends and holidays. It was discontinued on July 1, 2018.

Electrifcation

Seoul Subway Line 1 is powered by 1500 V direct current between Cheongnyangni station and

, and by 25000 V alternating current elsewhere. Because of this different manner of offering electric current, there are neutral sections between Cheongnyangni station and

Hoegi station Hoegi Station is a station on Seoul Subway Line 1, Gyeongchun Line and the Gyeongui-Jungang Line. The two island platforms are side-by-side with each other, and are connected by an overpass. This is the closest station to Kyung Hee University K ...

, as well as between Seoul Station and Namyeong station. Cheongnyangni-Hoegi DC-AC Deadsection with Seoul Metro 1009 Bound the Cheongnyangni

Stations

Main Lines

Local lines: * Soyosan, Dongducheon, Uijeongbu or Yangju — Incheon * Uijeongbu (3 times only on weekdays), Kwangwoon Univ. or Cheongnyangni — Cheonan, Sinchang, or Seodongtan * Yeongdeungpo — Gwangmyeong (shuttle) Express lines: * ''GW: Gyeongwon Express (Soyosan or Dongducheon - Incheon)'' * ''GI: Gyeongin Express (Yongsan – Dongincheon)'' * ''GI LE: Gyeongin

Limited Express A limited express is a type of express train service. It refers to an express service that stops at a limited number of stops in comparison to other express services on the same or similar routes. Japan The term "limited express" is a commo ...

(Yongsan – Dongincheon)'' * ''GB A: Gyeongbu Express (Cheongnyangni – Cheonan or Sinchang(Soonchunhyang Univ.))'' * ''GB B: Gyeongbu Express (Seoul – Cheonan or Sinchang(Soonchunhyang Univ.))'' ※ Only Korail trains are used for express trains.
Key:

Yeongdeungpo – Gwangmyeong shuttle service

Byeongjeom Depot spur service

Historical Timeline

Early 1980s Seoul Subway Map - Flickr - skinnylawyer

1974 :August 15: Line 1 is officially opened with 9 stations from Seoul to Cheongnyangni (), creating a system of 28 stations (excluding the 9 metro stations) on national railroads from Seongbuk station (now: Kwangwoon University station, the then-northern terminus) to Incheon Station and

. Korail is named Korean National Railroad, with Line 1 just referring to the Seoul–Cheongnyangni section. 1978 :December 9: The Gyeongwon Line from Yongsan to Seongbuk opens as a new branch, with Ichon and Seongsu (now part of the Jungang Line). 1979 :February 1: Yuljeon Station is opened. 1980 :January 5: Sinimun Station is opened. :April 1: Seobinggo, Hannam and Hoegi (now part of the Jungang Line) are opened. :July 10: Seongsu is renamed ''

Eungbong Station Eungbong Station is a station on the Gyeongui-Jungang Line. Station layout Vicinity *Exit 1: Eungbong Elementary School, Gwanghui Middle School A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary sc ...

'' 1982 :August 2: Seoksu Station is opened. 1984 :January 1: Yuljeon Station is renamed Seongdae-ap Station. :May 22: Sindorim Station is opened. :November 20:

Baegun Station Baegun Station is a subway station on the Seoul Subway Line 1 and the Gyeongin Line. Vicinity *Exit 1: Daeju Parkville APT *Exit 2: Bupyeong Library *Exit 3: Sinchon Elementary School A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Au ...

is opened. 1985 :January 14: Seokgye Station is opened. :April 20: Chang-dong is opened as a northward extension. :August 22: Wolgye and Nokcheon are opened. :October 18:

Oksu Station Oksu Station is a station on the Line 3 and the Gyeongui–Jungang Line. It is located near the confluence of the Han and Jungnang Rivers. The Line 3 part of Oksu Station is one of four stations on Line 3 not underground (The others are Jic ...

(now part of the Jungang Line) is opened. 1986 :September 2: 6 stations from

Uijeongbu Uijeongbu () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Overview Uijeongbu is located north of the Korean capital Seoul; it lies inside a defile, with mountains on two sides, and commands a natural choke point across the main traditional inv ...

to Chang-dong are opened as a northward extension. 1987 :October 5: Uijeongbu Bukbu Station is opened. :December 31: Jung-dong Station is opened. 1988 :January 16:

Onsu Station Onsu Station is a station on the Seoul Subway Line 1. It was the former western terminus of Seoul Subway Line 7. A westward extension of Line 7 (from Onsu to Bupyeong-gu Office) was completed in October 2012. It is near the border of Seoul and Bu ...

is opened. :October 25: The Ansan Line is opened as a southward branch, from Geumjeong Station to Ansan Station. 1994 :July 11: Ganseok and Dowon are opened. :December 1: Seongdae-ap Station is renamed to Sungkyunkwan University. 1995 :February 16: Guil Station is opened. 1996 :January 1: Hwigyeong Station is renamed to Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Station :March 28: Bugae Station is opened. 1997 :April 30: Sosa Station is opened. 1998 :January 7: Singil and Doksan are opened. 2000 :Korea National Railroad and Line 1 are integrated as Seoul (Metropolitan) Subway Line 1. 2001 :November 30: Dohwa Station is opened. 2003 :April 30: Seryu and Byeongjeom are opened as a southward extension. The Ansan Line service is replaced with an extended

. 2004 :August 25: Bugok Station is renamed Uiwang Station. 2005 :January 20: 8 stations from Byeongjeom to

are opened as another southward extension. :December 16: The Gyeongwon Line branch from Yongsan Station to

Hoegi Station Hoegi Station is a station on Seoul Subway Line 1, Gyeongchun Line and the Gyeongui-Jungang Line. The two island platforms are side-by-side with each other, and are connected by an overpass. This is the closest station to Kyung Hee University K ...

and the Jungang Line from

Deokso Station Deokso Station is a train station on the Gyeongui-Jungang Line, South Korea. It was the eastern terminus of the Jungang Line commuter rail system prior to the opening of Paldang Station, and some trains still travel up to this station, before h ...

open and are renamed to the separate Yongsan-Deokso Line. This service was the predecessor to the current Jungang Line. :December 21: Dongmyo Station is opened. :December 27:

Sema Sama ( tr, Sema, Persian, Urdu and ar, سَمَاع - ''samā‘un'') is a Sufi ceremony performed as part of the meditation and prayer practice dhikr. Sama means "listening", while dhikr means "remembrance".During, J., and R. Sellheim. "Sa ...

and Osan College Stations are opened. 2006 :June 30: Jinwi and Jije Stations are opened. :July 1: Garibong Station is renamed to Gasan Digital Complex. :December 15: 8 stations from Soyosan to Uijeongbu Bukbu are opened as a northward extension. A

spur line A branch line is a phrase used in railway terminology to denote a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Industrial spur An industr ...

Gwangmyeong Station Gwangmyeong station () is a train station in Gwangmyeong, South Korea. The station was newly built as a stop of national railway operator Korail's KTX high-speed service, south of Seoul Station. The area surrounding the station is home to th ...

is created. Uijeongbu Bukbu Station is renamed to Ganeung. 2007 :December 28: Deokgye Station is opened. 2008 :December: 6 stations from

to Sinchang(Soonchunhyang Univ.) are opened as another southward extension. Siheung Station is renamed to Geumcheon-gu Office. 2010 :January 21: Dangjeong Station is opened. :February 26:

Seodongtan Station Seodongtan Station is a station on Line 1 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. It serves the cities of Hwaseong and Osan in Gyeonggi-do Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capi ...

is opened. 2015 :February 3: Gyeongin Line express trains start stopping at Gaebong and

Jemulpo Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Kore ...

stations. 2017 :July 6: A new limited express service was launched between Yongsan and Dongincheon stations. 2019 :December 30: All Gyeongbu Line express trains start stopping at Geumjeong and

Sungkyunkwan University Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU or simply ''Seongdae'', Hangul: 성균관대학교; Hanja: 成均館大學校) is a private comprehensive research university in South Korea. The institution traces its origins to the historic Sungkyunkwan, found ...

stations and are extended to Cheongnyangni. Gyeongbu Line express trains no longer stop at Gunpo station. 2021 :August

Tangjeong station Tangjeong Station ( ko, 탕정역) is a railway station on Janghang Line of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway The Seoul Metropolitan Subway is a metropolitan railway system consisting of 23 rapid transit, light metro, commuter rail and people m ...

will be opened.

Future Plans

Line 1 will be extended northward from

Yeoncheon Station The Gyeongwon Line is a railway line serving northeastern Gyeonggi Province in South Korea. The line is operated by Korail. The name of the line came from ''Gyeongseong'' (Seoul) and ''Wonsan'', the original terminus of the line, in what is no ...

on the Gyeongwon Line, replacing the current "''Commuter Train''" service operating there. Construction on this extension began in September 2014 and is expected to be completed in May 2023.

Rolling stock

Current

* Seoul Metro 1000 series ** Rheostat-controlled electric car (rebuilt cars) – since 1974 ** VVVF inverter-controlled electric car – since 1999 * Korail Class 311000 ** First generation – since 1996 ** Second generation – since 2003 ** Third generation – since 2005 ** Fourth generation – since 2019 (Korail Class 312000) * Korail Class 319000 (for Gwangmyeong Shuttle) – since 2006 File:SMSC_EMU_Old1000_2nd.jpg, Seoul Metro 1000 series rheostat-controlled EMU (rebuilt cars) File:Seoul Metro Line 1 train leaving Geumjeong.jpg, Seoul Metro 1000 series VVVF inverter-controlled EMU File:Korail Class 311000 EMU.jpg, Korail Class 311000 (First generation) File:Korail Line 1 Yongsan-Cheonan express train passing Uiwang.JPG, Korail Class 311000 (Second generation) File:Korail_Line_1_train_leaving_Yongsan.JPG, Korail Class 311000 (Third generation) File:Korail Class 312000.png, Korail Class 312000 (Fourth generation) File:Korail Line 1 Yeongdeungpo-Gwangmyeong shuttle train at Sindorim.jpg, Korail Class 319000

Former

* Seoul Metro 1000 series ** Rheostat-controlled electric car (1st batch) – 1974-2002 *

Korail Class 1000 The Korail Class 1000 was a series of electric multiple units built in Seoul, South Korea for Seoul Subway Line 1. The cars were built in and entered service between 1974 and 1997. They were gradually retired from the late 1990s to 2020 by newer ...

** First generation – 1974-2004 (some non-driving cars lasted until 2014) ** Second generation – 1986-2017 (some non-driving cars lasted until 2019) ** Third generation – 1994-2020 File:Korail_1000_Series_Subway_Train_-_Flickr_-_skinnylawyer.jpg, Preserved Korail Class 1000 (1st batch car) File:KORAIL EMU1000 2nd-First.jpg, Korail Class 1000 (2nd batch) File:1R05 img 8784.jpg, Korail Class 1000 (3rd batch) File:Seoul Metropolitan Subway Corp old EMU 1000.jpg, Seoul Metro 1000 series (1st batch car) on Gyeongbu Line, October 1988

Depots and facilities

''(from north to south)'' * Majeon signal box between Deokye and Yangju Stations * Chang-dong Depot (shared with Line 4) * Seongbuk Depot * Imun Depot * Guro Depot * Siheung Depot (actually after

Oido Station Oido Station is a subway station in Siheung, South Korea. It is the current southwestern terminus of Seoul Subway Line 4 located almost 30 kilometers southwest of Seoul, connecting Oido to other parts of Korea. A commuter rail trip between this ...

on Line 4, also used for heavy maintenance of Line 1 trains owned by Korail, accessed by a crossover located after Geumjeong Station) * Byeongjeom Depot

References

External links

Map, station and route finder

{{South Korea rapid transit Seoul Metropolitan Subway lines Railway lines opened in 1974