Gyeongbu Line

Gyeongbu line
Overview
Native name	경부선(京釜線)
Owner	Korea Rail Network Authority
Line number	302 (KR)
Termini	Seoul Busan
Stations	90
Service
Type	Passenger/freight rail
Operator(s)	Korail
Depot(s)	Guro, Byeongjeom
History
Opened	January 1, 1905
Technical
Line length	441.7 km (274.5 mi)
Number of tracks	6 (Seoul–Guro) 4 (Guro–Cheonan) 2 (Cheonan–Busan)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification	25 kV/60 Hz Catenary
Operating speed	150 km/h (93 mph)
Route map Legend km Seoul Subway Line 1 0.0 Seoul Gyeongui–Jungang Line DC section│AC section neutral section 1.7 Namyeong Gyeongui–Jungang Line 3.2 Yongsan Gyeongui–Jungang Line Yongsan wye Yongsan rail yard Han River 5.8 Noryangjin 7.3 Daebang 8.1 Singil 9.1 Yeongdeungpo 10.6 Sindorim 11.7 Guro Gyeongin Line to Incheon Guro rail yard 14.1 Gasan Digital Complex 16.1 Doksan 17.3 Geumcheon-gu Office   0.0 Gyeongbu HSR Siheung connecting line   4.7 Gwangmyeong 19.6 Seoksu 21.5 Gwanak 23.9 Anyang 26.1 Myeonghak Seoul Subway Line 4 Northbound│Southbound 27.5 Geumjeong Seoul Subway Line 4 29.7 Gunpo 31.3 Dangjeong Obong [ko] 33.9 Uiwang 36.8 Sungkyunkwan University 39.4 Hwaseo 41.5 Suwon Suin Line 44.4 Seryu 48.7 0.0 Byeongjeom   1.4 Byeongjeom rail yard   2.2 Seodongtan 51.1 Sema 53.8 Osan University 56.5 Osan 60.5 Jinwi 64.3 Songtan 66.5 Seojeongni 71.3 PyeongtaekJije 75.0 Pyeongtaek 84.4 Seonghwan 89.8 Jiksan 93.6 Dujeong Cheonan connecting line 96.6 Cheonan Janghang Line to Iksan Expressway No.25 Nonsan–Cheonan Expy. Cheonan Sejong Gyeongbu HSR 107.4 Sojeong-ri 114.9 Jeonui 122.6 Jeondong signal box 126.1 Seochang signal box Osong line Osing rail yard Chungbuk Line 129.3 Jochiwon Miho River 134.9 Naepan signal box Bugang freight line Honam HSR 139.8 Bugang 144.4 Maepo Gyeongbu HSR Sejong Daejeon 151.9 0.0 Sintanjin NR 17   1.6 Daejeon Maintenance Fascility NR 17 157.5 Hoedeok AH 1 / Expressway No.1 Gyeongbu Expy. NR 17 Gyeongbu HSR 161.6 Daejon rail yard Honam line to Mokpo 166.3 Daejeon Gyeongbu HSR 173.6 Secheon Daejeon North Chungcheong 178.4 Jeungyak Gahwa tunnel 182.5 Okcheon Daejeon South connecting line 187.3 Gapung Gyeongbu HSR Jinpyeong tunnel 190.8 Iwon Gyeongbu HSR Geum River 196.4 Jitan 200.8 Simcheon Chogangcheon River Gyeongbu HSR 204.6 Gakgye 211.6 Yeongdong Gyeongbu HSR 218.0 Mireuk AH 1 / Expressway No.1 Gyeongbu Expy. Hwanggan tunnel 226.2 Hwanggan 234.7 Chupungnyeong N. Chungcheong N. Gyeongsang Chupungnyeong pass AH 1 / Expressway No.1 Gyeongbu Expy. 240.7 Sinam signal box Taepyeong tunnel Gyeongbu HSR 246.2 Jikjisa Gyeongbuk Line 253.8 Gimcheon Gamcheon River Gyeongbu HSR NR 3 263.5 Daesin 269.2 Apo Expressway No.45 Jungbu Naeryuk Expressway 276.7 Gumi 281.3 Sagok Sangmunal tunnel Gyeongbu HSR 289.5 Yamok Nakdong River 296.0 Waegwan 302.2 Yeonhwa AH 1 / Expressway No.1 Gyeongbu Expy. 305.9 Sindong Sindong freight line 308.2 North Daegu connecting line 313.3 Jicheon AH 1 / Expressway No.1 Gyeongbu Expy. Geumho River North Gyeongsang Daegu Expressway No.451 Jungbu Naeryuk Expy. Branch 323.1 Daegu 326.3 East Daegu former Daegu Line Gyeongbu HSR 331.8 Gomo 333.4 Gacheon Daegu Line Daegu North Gyeongsang 338.6 Gyeongsan Expressway No.55 Jungang Expressway 345.7 Samseong Seonghyeon tunnel 353.1 Namseonghyeon NR 20 361.8 Cheongdo 367.4 Singeo Yucheon Miryang River North Gyeongsang South Gyeongsang 372.2 Sangdong Miryang River 374.8 Daeseong NR 24 Miryang tunnel Miryang River 381.6 Miryang 392.6 Mijeon signal box Mijeon Line Gyeongjeon Line to Gwangju 394.1 Samnangjin 403.2 Wondong 412.4 Mulgeum Expressway No.551 Jungang Expressway Branch Yangsan Cargo Terminal Yangsan River South Gyeongsang Busan Expressway No.600 Busan Ring Expressway 421.8 Hwamyeong NR 14 425.2 Gupo Expressway No.55 Jungang Expressway 430.3 Sasang Gaya Line Busan coach yard Donghae Line Beomil Uam Line [ko] 439.9 Busanjin 440.2 Gyeongbu HSR 441.7 Busan km

The Gyeongbu line (Gyeongbuseon) is a railway line in South Korea and is considered to be the most important and one of the oldest in the country. It was constructed in 1905, connecting Seoul with Busan via Suwon, Daejeon, and Daegu. It is by far the most heavily travelled rail line in South Korea.

All types of high-speed, express, local, and freight trains provide frequent service along its entire length.

In 1894–1895, the Empire of Japan and Qing China fought the First Sino-Japanese War for influence over Korea. Following the war, Japan competed with the Russian Empire's railway expansion in Northeast Asia, which led it to seek the right from the Korean Empire to build a railway from Busan to Keijō. This railway line was intended by Japan to solidify its strategic positions against Russia, which it would later go to war.^[1] Surveying began in 1896, and in spite of local protests, the Korean Empire gave Japan the right to build the line in 1898.^[2] Construction of the railway started on August 20, 1901, with a ceremony at Eitōho-ku, Keijō.^[2] Construction was supervised by Japanese, with local Koreans commandeered into forced labor and paid with coupons.^[2][1]

Japan also sought to gain control of the Keigi Railway project that was to continue tracks further north, recognizing the trunk route as a means to keep Korea under its influence.^[1] After the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War, Japan ignored Korea's declaration of neutrality and transported troops to Incheon. Japan also forced the Korean government to sign an agreement that ceded its control of the railway. Japanese military bases were established in connection with the railway, the biggest of them next to Ryūzan Station in Keijō.^[1]

The Gyeongbu line was publicly inaugurated on January 1, 1905 as the Keibu Railway (京釜鐵道, Keibu tetsudō).^[2][3] The first trains travelled the line in 17 hours 4 minutes.^[4] By April 1906, travel time was reduced to 11 hours,^[4] while top speed was 60 km/h (37 mph).^[5] The line developed into the backbone of transport in Korea under Japanese rule. Following the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, from April 1, 1933, the line was traversed by direct trains from Busan to Andong (today Dandong) across the border.^[6] From December 1, 1936, the Akatsuki luxury express trains ran on the line with a maximum speed of 90 km/h (56 mph), and achieved the shortest pre-war travel time of 6 hours 30 minutes^[4] in the timetable valid from November 1, 1940.^[7]

Travel times increased greatly while the line was used for transport in World War II.^[7] Following World War II, the Seoul–Busan express train re-established on May 20, 1946,^[7] was named Chosun Liberator.^[6] During the Korean War, the line transported troops and refugees.^[8] The line remained the backbone of transport in South Korea after the war,^[9] when diesel locomotives^[6] and the cross-country Mugunghwa-ho train class was introduced.^[4] Following the 1961 coup, the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction started South Korea's first five-year plan, which included a construction program to complete the railway network, to foster economic growth.^[10] On the Gyeongbu Line, the effort was advertised with a new class of express trains named Jaegeon-ho, (Reconstruction train) introduced on May 15, 1962.^[6] These trains reduced travel times below the best pre-WWII travel times for the first time, connecting Seoul and Busan in 6 hours 10 minutes at a top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph).^[4]

From the 1960s, road construction began to make road transport more attractive and faster. Although top speed rose to 110 km/h (68 mph) and the Seoul–Busan travel time along the Gyeongbu Line was reduced to 4 hours 50 minutes by June 10, 1969,^[4] on the parallel Gyeongbu Expressway, completed in 1970, travel time was only 4 hours to 4 hours 30 minutes.^[9] Korean National Railroad responded by introducing the Saemaul-ho class of elevated-comfort express trains on August 15, 1974.^[4] with the introduction of new streamlined diesel locomotives and then diesel multiple units in Saemaul-ho service,^[6] top speed was raised to 140 km/h (87 mph) and travel time was reduced to 4 hours 10 minutes with the timetable valid from November 16, 1985.^[4]

The Gyeongbu Line was extensively upgraded in parallel with the development of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway urban rapid transit system and the Korea Train Express (KTX) high-speed rail system from the 1970s.

The Gyeongbu Line is six-tracked from Seoul to Guro, four-tracked from Guro to Cheonan,^[11] and double-tracked from Cheonan all the way to Busan. The entire line is electrified.^[11]

The Seoul–Busan axis is Korea's main traffic corridor. In 1995, it housed 73.3% of Korea's population, and conducted 70% of the freight traffic and 66% of the passenger traffic. With both the Gyeongbu Expressway and Korail's Gyeongbu Line congested, the government saw the need to develop railways.^[9] The first proposals for a second Seoul-Busan railway line originated from a study prepared between 1972 and 1974 by experts of France's SNCF and Japan Railway Technical Service (JARTS) on a request from the IBRD.^[9][12] A more detailed 1978-1981 study by KAIST, focusing on the needs of freight transport, also came to the conclusion that the necessary capacity for freight transport on the existing Gyeongbu Line could best be released by separating off long-distance passenger traffic on a parallel high speed passenger railway, which was then taken up in Korea's next Five Year Plan.^[9]

Following the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, the government decided to finish the Gyeongbu High Speed Railway (Gyeongbu HSR) in two phases, and upgrade and electrify the conventional Gyeongbu Line for KTX services on the sections paralleling the parts of the high-speed line not completed in the first phase.^[9][13]

Plans foresaw the development of the Gyeongbu Line into a high-capacity freight corridor after the completion of the second phase of the Gyeongbu HSR.^[14] At the time of the opening of the Daegu–Busan section of the high-speed line on November 1, 2010, capacity available for freight trains on the conventional line was expected to increase by a factor of 7.7, while the capacity for passenger transport in the entire corridor increased by a factor of 3.4.^[15]

The line was electrified in stages from 1974 to 2006:^[11]

For KTX trains and new electric locomotives, top speed was also raised to up to 150 km/h.^[11][16]

The Gyeongbu Line is the major route out of Seoul and Yongsan stations and, in addition to regular departures for Busan, trains travel along the Gyeongbu Line en route to Janghang, Gwangju, Mokpo, Suncheon, Yeosu, Pohang, Ulsan, Haeundae, Masan, and Jinju. Trains for Jecheon, Andong, and Yeongju also operate along sections of the Gyeongbu Line.

On the section between Seoul Station, Guro (where roughly half of the trains leave the Gyeongbu Line to head out to Incheon via the Gyeongin Line), Suwon, and Byeongjeom, Seoul Subway Line 1 provides frequent commuter services.

The Gyeongbu Line is served along its entire length by frequent intercity Saemaul-ho and cross-country Mugunghwa-ho trains. Some trains run along the entire length of the line, others only on some sections, including trains diverging to the connected lines. As of October 2010, direct Saemaul day trains connect Seoul to Busan in a minimum 4 hours 50 minutes, and Mughungwa trains in a minimum 5 hours 28 minutes.^[17]

Korail launched KTX high-speed services with the opening of the first phase of the Gyeongbu HSR on April 1, 2004.^[9] The Seoul–Busan travel distance was shortened to 408.5 km, the shortest travel time was 2 hours 40 minutes.^[9]

All KTX services use the conventional Gyeongbu Line between Seoul and the start of the Siheung Interconnection at a junction after Geumcheon-gu Office station, until the Siheung Interconnection diverges in a tunnel towards the present start of the Gyeongbu HSR. The terminal for most Gyeongbu KTX services is Seoul Station, for most Honam KTX services, Yongsan station.^[9][17] In addition, some trains continue beyond Seoul Station for 14.9 km along the Gyeongui Line to terminate at Haengsin station,^[17] next to which KTX trains have a depot.^[18] An additional stop at Yeongdeungpo station was proposed in 2004, however, the plans were dropped in face of opposition from locals living around Gwangmyeong station along the Gyeongbu HSR, who feared that Yeongdeungpo would draw away passengers from the new station and force its closing.^[19] However, the November 1, 2010, timetable change made Yeongdeungpo a KTX stop, for newly introduced trains that also use the Gyeongbu Line on the entire Seoul–Daejeon section, to serve Suwon.^[17][20]

From its opening, the Gyeongbu KTX service also returned to the Gyeongbu Line for two short sections crossing Daejeon and Daegu, where local disputes about the high-speed line alignment across urban areas held up construction;^[21] and all the way from Daegu to Busan. Consequently, all but two of the stations of the Gyeongbu KTX service were on the conventional Gyeongbu Line: after the two stations on the high-speed line, Gwangmyeong and Cheonan-Asan, stops were at Daejeon, Dongdaegu (East Daegu), Miryang, Gupo and Busan.^[9] Some Gyeongbu KTX services maintained service on this relation after the November 1, 2010, opening of the second phase of the Gyeongbu HSR, with the daily number of halts in Miryang and Gupo increased.^[17] Korail met local demands by introducing additional KTX services between Seoul and Dongdaegu in June 2007, which used the conventional Gyeongbu Line between Daejeon and Dongdaegu to serve Gimcheon and Gumi.^[22] However, these services were discontinued with the opening of the Gimcheon–Gumi station on the high-speed line.^[22]

The section between Daegu and Samnangjin, the junction with the Gyeongjeon Line, is also used by the Gyeongjeon KTX services, which connect Seoul to Masan on the Gyeongjeon Line since December 15, 2010,^[23] and will be extended to Jinju by 2012.^[24] Stops along the Gyeongbu Line will be at Dongdaegu and Miryang.

Between Seoul and Cheonan, the Mugunghwa and Saemaul express trains on the Gyeongbu Line gave rail around a fifth of the modal share before the launch of KTX services. Due to the short distance and the location of the KTX station outside the city, the conventional line could retain most of its passengers, and the increase in the total modal share of rail was modest.^[9] On the medium-distance relation from Seoul to Daejeon, KTX gained market share mostly at the expense of normal express services on the Gyeongbu Line, which decreased by half in the first year, while the total share of rail increased to a third.^[9] On the long-distance relations from Seoul to Daegu and Busan, the total share of rail increased from around two-fifths to a market dominating three-fifths, with the bulk of that traffic taken by the KTX. For intercity passenger traffic on the conventional Gyeongbu Line, that translates to a sharp drop on the Daejeon-Daegu section (bypassed by KTX trains) and a sharp increase on the Daegu-Busan section.^[9]

Station	Hangul	Hanja	Seoul Subway Line 1		Long Distance Services			Connecting lines and services	Station distance	Line distance	Location
			L	R		ITX	Mugungwha		km
Seoul	서울		●	●	●	●	●	Gyeongbu HSR Seoul Subway Line 4 AREX	-	0.0	Seoul	Jung-gu
Namyeong	남영	南營	●	●	｜	｜	｜	-	1.7			Yongsan-gu
Yongsan	용산	龍山	●	●	● [note 1]	●	●	Gyeongwon Line () Yongsan Line Honam Line Honam KTX	1.5	3.2
Noryangjin	노량진	鷺梁津	●	●	｜	｜	｜	Seoul Subway Line 9	2.6	5.8		Dongjak-gu
Daebang (Sungae Hospital)	대방 (성애병원)	大方	●	●	｜	｜	｜	-	1.5	7.3		Yeongdeungpo-gu
Singil	신길	新吉	●	●	｜	｜	｜	Seoul Subway Line 5	0.8	8.1
Yeongdeungpo	영등포	永登浦	●	●	○ [note 2]	●	●	Gyeongbu HSR	1.0	9.1
Sindorim	신도림	新道林	●	●	｜	｜	｜	Seoul Subway Line 2 Sinjeong Branch (Seoul Subway Line 2)	1.5	10.6		Guro-gu
Guro	구로	九老	●	●	｜	｜	｜	Gyeongin Line (Seoul Subway Line 1)	1.1	11.7
Gasan Digital Complex (Mario Outlet)	가산디지털단지 (마리오아울렛)	加山디지털團地	●	●	｜	｜	｜	Seoul Subway Line 7	2.4	14.1		Geumcheon-gu
Doksan	독산	禿山	●	｜	｜	｜	｜	-	2.0	16.1
Geumcheon-gu Office	금천구청	衿川區廳	●	○	｜	｜	｜	Gwangmyeong Line (Seoul Subway Line 1)	1.2	17.3
Seoksu	석수	石水	●	｜	｜	｜	｜	-	2.3	19.6	Gyeonggi-do	Anyang
Gwanak	관악	冠岳	●	｜	｜	｜	｜		1.9	21.5
Anyang	안양	安養	●	●	｜	｜	○		2.4	23.9
Myeonghak (Sungkyul Univ.)	명학 (성결대앞교)	鳴鶴	●	｜	｜	｜	｜		2.2	26.1
Geumjeong	금정	衿井	●	●	｜	｜	｜	Gwacheon Line (Seoul Subway Line 4) Ansan Line (Seoul Subway Line 4)	1.4	27.5		Gunpo
Gunpo	군포	軍浦	●	｜	｜	｜	｜	-	2.2	29.7
Dangjeong (Hansei Univ.)	당정 (한세대)	堂井	●	｜	｜	｜	｜		1.6	31.3
Uiwang (Korea Nat'l Univ. of Transportation)	의왕 (한국교통대학교)	義王	●	○	｜	｜	｜	Seoul Subway Line 1 Nambu Hwamulgiji Line	4.2	33.9		Uiwang
Sungkyunkwan Univ.	성균관대	成均館大	●	●	｜	｜	｜	-	2.9	36.8		Suwon
Hwaseo	화서	華西	●	｜	｜	｜	｜		2.6	39.4
Suwon	수원	水原	●	●	○ [note 2]	●	●	Gyeongbu HSR Suin-Bundang Line	2.1	41.5
Seryu	세류	細柳	●	｜	｜	｜	｜	-	2.9	44.4
Byeongjeom (Hanshin Univ.)	병점 (한신대)	餅店	●	●	｜	｜	｜	Byeongjeomgiji Line (Seoul Subway Line 1)	4.3	48.7		Hwaseong
Sema	세마	洗馬	●	｜	｜	｜	｜	-	2.4	51.1		Osan
Osan Univ.	오산대	烏山大	●	｜	｜	｜	｜		2.7	53.8
Osan	오산	烏山	●	●	｜	｜	○		2.7	56.5
Jinwi	진위	振威	●	｜	｜	｜	｜		4.0	60.5		Pyeongtaek
Songtan	송탄	松炭	●	｜	｜	｜	｜		3.8	64.3
Seojeongni (Kookje College)	서정리 (국제대학)	西井里	●	●	｜	｜	○		2.2	66.5
PyeongtaekJije (Korea Nat'l Univ. of Welfare)	평택지제 (한국복지대학)	平澤芝制	●	｜	｜	｜	｜	Suseo-Pyeongtaek HSR	4.8	71.3
Pyeongtaek	평택	平澤	●	●	｜	○	●	Pyeongtaek Line	3.7	75.0
Seonghwan (Namseoul Univ.)	성환 (남서울대)	成歡	●	●	｜	｜	○	-	9.4	84.4	Chungcheongnam-do	Cheonan
Jiksan	직산	稷山	●	｜	｜	｜	｜		5.4	89.8
Dujeong	두정	斗井	●	●	｜	｜	｜		3.8	93.6
Cheonan	천안	天安	●	●	｜	●	●	Janghang Line Anseong Line (Closed)	3.0	96.6
Sojeong-ri	소정리	小井里	No Seoul Subway Line 1 Service		｜	｜	｜	-	10.8	107.4	Sejong City
Jeonui	전의	全義			｜	｜	○		7.5	114.9
Jeondong	전동	全東			｜	｜	｜		7.7	122.6
Seochang	서창	瑞倉			｜	｜	｜	Osong Line	3.5	126.1
Jochiwon	조치원	鳥致院			｜	○	●	Chungbuk Line	3.2	129.3
Naepan	내판	內板			｜	｜	｜	-	5.6	134.9
Bugang	부강	芙江			｜	｜