North Chosen Line

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North Chosen Line
Overview
Native name북선선 (北鮮線)
StatusMerged (see article)
OwnerDomun Railway (1924–1929)
Chosen Government Railway (1929–1933)
South Manchuria Railway (1933–1945)
Termini
Service
TypeHeavy rail, Passenger & freight rail
Regional rail
History
Opened1924−1933
Technical
Line length194.5 km (120.9 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Route map

Legend
Mantetsu North Chosen West Line
Mantetsu North Chosen East Line
other Mantetsu lines
other railways
Sentetsu Hamgyeong Line
0.0
 Sangsambong
Manchukuo Nat'l Rly Chaokai Line
3.2
 Hasambong
Closed 1933
9.1
 Jongseong
Tongpo Line
14.3
 Soam
Closed 1944
Songpyeong Line
17.3
 Donggwan
23.2
 Sugupo
29.9
 Gangyang
(Namyang Border Line)
36.0
3.3
 Namyang
from Sangsambong
from Tumen
0.0
 Tumen
Manchukuo Nat'l Rly Jingtu Line
7.2
 Pungni
13.3
 Seseon
17.8
 Unseong
24.3
 Pung'in
33.6
 Hwangpa
East Manchuria Railway
43.2
 Hunyung
Tumen River
48.6
 Hamyeon
52.9
 Gyeongwon
60.2
 Nongpo
64.0
 Seungnyang
72.4
 Singeon
83.0
 Sinasan
90.3
 Songhak
Chosen Coal Rly Ao Line
96.2
 Aoji
104.9
 Cheonghak
114.6
 Sahoe
127.7
 Guryongpyeong
135.7
 Ungsang
146.2
 East Unggi
158.5
 Unggi
Mantetsu Ungna Line

The North Chosen Line – specifically, the North Chosen West Line (北鮮西部線, Hokusen Seibu-sen; 북선서부선, Bukseon Seobu-seon) and the North Chosen East Line (北鮮東部線, Hokusen Tōbu-sen; 북선동부선, Bukseon Dongbu-seon) – was a railway line of the South Manchuria Railway in Japanese-occupied Korea from 1933 to 1945. Following Japan's defeat in the Pacific War and the subsequent partition of Korea, the line, being located entirely in the North, was taken over by the Korean State Railway as part of the Hambuk Line.[1]

History[edit]

See also: Hamgyeong Line
For the post-1945 history of the line, see Hambuk Line.

In order to create the shortest possible route from Japan to eastern Manchuria, the Chosen Government Railway (Sentetsu) began construction of a line from Unggi (now Sŏnbong) to Donggwanjin via Namyang in 1929. Named the East Domun Line, it reached Donggwanjin on 1 August 1933.[2] There, it connected with the West Domun Line that Sentetsu had nationalised from the Domun Railway in 1929,[3] and the entire Hoeryeong−Unggi line was then redesignated as the Domun Line, and Donggwanjin Station was renamed to Donggwan Station.[2]

At the same time as the Namyang–Tonggwan section of the mainline was opened, a bridge was built over the Tumen River at Namyang, along with a line to Tumen, Manchukuo.[2] This line, called the Namyang Gukgyeong Line (Namyang Border Line),[1] connected Sentetsu to the Manchukuo National Railway's new Jingtu Line from Xinjing (now Changchun), capital of Manchukuo, to Tumen, that was also opened in 1933. This new route, using the northern port of Unggi, made the distance from Japan to Harbin even shorter than via Cheongjin. After the opening of the Manchukuo National's Tujia Line (图佳铁路) from Tumen to Jiamusi, also in 1933, an international passenger service from Gyeongseong to Botankou (Mudanjiang) via the Hamgyeong, Cheongjin, and Domun Lines, was inaugurated.

Just a few months after completion of the line from Unggi, on 1 October 1933 the management of Sentetsu's entire route from Cheongjin to Unggi was transferred to the South Manchuria Railway (Mantetsu).[4] On 1 November 1934, Mantetsu rearranged these lines, merging the Namyang Border Line with the Unggi−Namyang section of the Domun Line to create the North Chosen East Line (Unggi–Namyang–Tumen), with the Namyang–Sangsambong section becoming the North Chosen West Line.[5] In 1936, the "Asahi" express train between Xinjing and Najin was inaugurated, to connect to the ferry from Najin to Japan.[5]

In addition to the connections to the Manchukuo National Railway at Sangsambong and Namyang, Mantetsu had a third connection to Manchukuo, via the privately owned East Manchuria Railway's bridge across the Tumen River at Hunyung.[6]

Section Length Opened Original Owner Line to 1928 1929 1933 1934 – 1945
Sangsambong−Jongseong 9.1 km 1 December 1922 Domun Railway Domun Railway West Tomun Line
(Sentetsu)		 Domun Line
(Sentetsu)		 North Chosen West Line
(Mantetsu)
Jongseon−Donggwanjin 8.2 km 1 November 1924 Domun Railway Domun Railway West Tomun Line
(Sentetsu)		 Domun Line
(Sentetsu)		 North Chosen West Line
(Mantetsu)
Donggwanjin−Namyang 18.7 km 1 August 1933 Sentetsu - East Tomun Line Domun Line
(Sentetsu)		 North Chosen West Line
(Mantetsu)
Namyang−Tumen 3.3 km 1 August 1933 Sentetsu - - Namyang Gukgyeong Line
(Sentetsu)		 North Chosen East Line
(Mantetsu)
Namyang−Pungri 3.9 km 1 December 1932 Sentetsu - East Tomun Line
(Sentetsu 1932–1933)		 Domun Line
(Sentetsu)		 North Chosen East Line
(Mantetsu)
Pungri−Unseong 5.5 km 1 November 1932 Sentetsu - East Tomun Line
(Sentetsu 1932–1933)		 Domun Line
(Sentetsu)		 North Chosen East Line
(Mantetsu)
Unseong−Hunyung 24.7 km 20 October 1931 Sentetsu - East Tomun Line
(Sentetsu 1931–1933)		 Domun Line
(Sentetsu)		 North Chosen East Line
(Mantetsu)
Hunyung−Sinasan 39.8 km 1 October 1930 Sentetsu - East Tomun Line
(Sentetsu 1930–1933)		 Domun Line
(Sentetsu)		 North Chosen East Line
(Mantetsu)
Sinasan−Unggi 65.0 km 16 November 1929 Sentetsu - East Tomun Line
(Sentetsu 1929–1933)		 Domun Line
(Sentetsu)		 North Chosen East Line
(Mantetsu)

Service on the line was suspended after the Soviet invasion at the end of the Pacific War. The damage sustained by the line during the war - including the destruction of the Tumen River bridges at both Hunyung and Sambong - was slow to be repaired due to strained relations between the Soviets and the Korean People's Committees; those two bridges have not been repaired to the present day. After the partition of Korea, the Provisional People’s Committee for North Korea nationalised all railways in the Soviet zone of occupation on 10 August 1946, and following the establishment of the DPRK, the Korean State Railway was created in 1948.[7] After the end of the Korean War, the North Korean railway system was restructured, which included the rearrangement of several rail lines. This included the merging of the North Chosen West Line, the Namyang−Unggi section of the North Chosen East Line, and the Ungna Line to create the present-day Cheongjin−Namyang−Rajin Hambuk Line.[1] The Namyang−Tumen cross-border section of the North Chosen East Line was split off to create the Namyang Gukgyeong Line.[1]

Route[edit]

North Chosen West Line - stations as of 1945
Distance Station name
Total; km S2S; km Transcribed, Korean Transcribed, Japanese Hunminjeongeum Hanja/Kanji Opening date
Original owner 		Connections
0.0 0.0 Sangsambong
Sambong (after 1933) 		Jōsanhō
Sanhō 		상삼봉
삼봉 		上三峰
三峰 		5 January 1920
Domun Railway 		Sentetsu Hamgyeong Line
Manchukuo National Railway Chaokai Line
3.2 3.2 Hasambong Kasanhō 하삼봉 下三峰 1 December 1922
Domun Railway 		Closed 1933
9.1 5.9 Jongseong Shōjō 종성 鍾城 1 December 1922
Domun Railway 		Mantetsu Tongpo Line
14.3 5.3 Soam Shōgan 소암 小岩 1 November 1924
Domun Railway 		Closed 1944
17.3 3.0 Donggwan Tōken 동관 東關 1 November 1924
Domun Railway 		Mantetsu Songpyeong Line
23.2 4.9 Sugupo Suigōho 수구포 水口浦 1 August 1933
Sentetsu
29.9 6.7 Gangyang Kōyō 강양 江陽 1 August 1933
Sentetsu
36.0 6.1 Namyang Nan'yō 남양 南陽 1 December 1932
Sentetsu 		Mantetsu North Chosen East Line
North Chosen East Line - stations as of 1945
Distance Station name
Total; km S2S; km Transcribed, Korean Transcribed, Japanese Hunminjeongeum Hanja/Kanji Opening date
Original owner 		Connections
0.0 0.0 Tumen, Manchukuo Tomon 圖們 圖們 1933
Manchukuo National Railway 		Manchukuo National Rly Jingtu Line
3.3 3.3 Namyang Nan'yō 남양 南陽 1 December 1932
Sentetsu 		Mantetsu North Chosen West Line
7.2 3.9 Pungni Hōri 풍리 豊利 1 December 1932
Sentetsu
13.3 6.1 Seseon Seizen 세선 世仙 1 November 1932
Sentetsu
17.8 4.5 Unseong Onjō 운성 穏城 20 October 1931
Sentetsu
24.3 6.5 Pung'in Hōjin 풍인 豊仁 20 October 1931
Sentetsu
33.6 9.3 Hwangpa Kōha 황파 黄坡 20 October 1931
Sentetsu
43.2 9.6 Hunyung Kunjū 룬융 訓戎 1 October 1930
Sentetsu 		East Manchuria Railway
48.6 5.4 Hamyeon Kamen 하면 下面 1 October 1930
Sentetsu
52.9 4.3 Gyeongwon Keigen 경원 慶源 1 October 1930
Sentetsu
60.2 7.3 Nongpo Nōho 농포 農圃 1 October 1930
Sentetsu
64.0 3.8 Seungnyang Shōryō 승량 承良 1 October 1930
Sentetsu
72.4 8.4 Singeon Shinkan 신건 新乾 1 October 1930
Sentetsu
83.0 10.6 Sinasan Shin'azan 신아산 新阿山 16 November 1929
Sentetsu
90.3 7.3 Songhak Shōkaku 송학 松鶴 16 November 1929
Sentetsu
96.2 5.9 Aoji Aguji 아오지 阿吾地 16 November 1929
Sentetsu 		Chosen Coal Industry Railway Ao Line
104.9 8.7 Cheonghak Seikaku 청학 青鶴 16 November 1929
Sentetsu
114.6 9.7 Sahoe Seikai 사회 四会 16 November 1929
Sentetsu
127.7 13.1 Guryongpyeong Kyūryōhei 구룡평 九龍坪 16 November 1929
Sentetsu
135.7 8.0 Ungsang Yūshō 웅상 雄尚 16 November 1929
Sentetsu
146.2 10.5 Dongunggi Higashi-Yūki 동웅기 東雄基 16 November 1929
Sentetsu
158.5 12.3 Unggi Yūki 웅기 雄基 16 November 1929
Sentetsu 		Mantetsu Ungna Line

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Kokubu, Hayato (2007). 将軍様の鉄道 [Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō]. Tokyo: Shinchosha. p. 89. ISBN 978-4-10-303731-6.
  2. ^ a b c "The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea". 朝鮮総督府官報 (in Japanese) (Shōwa No. 1963). 26 July 1933.
  3. ^ 朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 669, 28 March 1929 (in Japanese)
  4. ^ "The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea". 朝鮮総督府官報 (in Japanese). 1 October 1933.
  5. ^ a b 南満州鉄道株式会社全路線 [South Manchurian Railway Co., Ltd. All routes] (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 21 October 2013.
  6. ^ 琿春: 東満州鉄道 [Hunchun: East Manchuria Railway]. Biglobe.ne.jp (in Japanese).
  7. ^ Kokubu, Hayato (2007). 将軍様の鉄道 [Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō]. Tokyo: Shinchosha. p. 131. ISBN 978-4-10-303731-6.
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