Gyeongchun Line

4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)Electrification25 kV/60 Hz AC catenaryOperating speed180 km/h (112 mph)

The Gyeongchun Line is a regional rail line between Seoul and Chuncheon, South Korea, operated by Korail. Its name is derived from Gyeong (京, meaning the capital, Seoul) and Chuncheon. It was completely reconstructed in the 2000s. Service on it has operated between Sangbong station on the Jungang Line in eastern Seoul and Chuncheon station, as part of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway system, since December 21, 2010. A class of regional rail service named ITX-Cheongchun began operations on February 28, 2012, linking Chuncheon to Cheongnyangni and Yongsan Stations.

History

The original Gyeongchun Line was opened along its full length of 87.3 km (54.2 mi) between Kwangwoon University on the Gyeongwon Line to Chuncheon by the privately owned Gyeongchun Railway on 20 July 1939.^[1][2] Chuncheon was the most popular destination for students on orientation trips, bringing passengers to the line.^[3] Following the Liberation of Korea, all railways, including the Gyeongchun Railway, were nationalised.

Upgrade

The line was upgraded into an electrified and double-tracked line for 180 km/h (112 mph).^[3][4][5] Between Geumgok and Chuncheon, from 1997 until 2010, the line was re-laid in a straighter, 64.2 km long alignment with a budget of 2.151,931 billion won.^[6] The remaining 17.9 km of the upgraded line was built with a separate budget of 574.124 billion won.^[7] Towards Seoul, after Toegyewon station, this section of the new line diverges from the old alignment that ended in Seongbuk, and connects to the Jungang Line at Mangu station.^[7]

The new alignment was originally planned to be opened in 2004, but completion of the works was delayed for various reasons, including lack of funds.^[5] The complete new alignment opened and the old one closed on December 21, 2010.^[3]

On September 1, 2010, the South Korean government announced a strategic plan to reduce travel times from Seoul to 95% of the country to under 2 hours by 2020. As part of the plan, the Gyeongchun Line is to be further upgraded for 230 km/h and may see KTX service.^[8] For the longer term, the government also considers to build a parallel high-speed line that would continue beyond Chuncheon to Sokcho on South Korea's east coast.^[8]

On November 4, 2016, two trains (one in the morning, one in the night) were added to the line. These trains run to and from Kwangwoon University station, allowing for transfers to Line 1. These trains take the Mangu Line Branch.

On September 26, 2016, the service was extended to Cheongnyangni station to improve access to regional trains (KTX, Seoul Metro Line 1) at the station. However, only 10 trains in each direction travel past Sangbong Station; the majority of the trains still terminate at Sangbong Station, and the two special rush-hour trains still run to and from Kwangwoon University Station.^[9]

Services

Seoul Metropolitan Subway Gyeongchun Line

Seoul Metropolitan Subway Gyeongchun Line
Korail Class 361000 EMU
Overview
Service type	Heavy rail, Passenger rail Commuter rail, Intercity rail
Status	Operating
Locale	Seoul Gyeonggi Gangwon (South Korea)
First service	December 21, 2010
Current operator(s)	Korail
Route
Termini	Sangbong, Kwangwoon University, Cheongnyangni Chuncheon
Stops	21
Distance travelled	90.0km
Line(s) used	Jungang Line, Gyeongchun Line
On-board services
Baggage facilities	Overhead racks baggage storage
Technical
Rolling stock	Class 361000
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification	25 kV/60 Hz catenary
Operating speed	180 km/h (112 mph)
Route map Legend Gyeongwon Line () former Gyeongchun Line→ -4.3 Kwangwoon Univ. Wolgok Gosangjeon Seongdong (Seokgye) Imun Rail Yard (Sinimun) (Hankuk Univ. of Foreign Studies) () Cheongnyangni Hoegi Singongdeok Jungnangcheon Jungnang ← Mangu Line -0.6 Sangbong 0.0 Mangu Jungang Line () 2.1 Sinnae Hwarangdae ↑Seoul/Guri↓ 4.7 Galmae since 2010 The old main line 13.9 5.6 Galmae until 1974 ↑Guri/Namyangju↓ 6.1 Byeollae Seoul Ring Expressway 7.7 Toegyewon 11.0 Sareung 14.6 Geumgok Pyeongnae Rail Yard 18.6 Pyeongnaehopyeong since 2006 Pyeongnae until 2006 22.8 Cheonmasan 25.0 Maseok Damnae closed in 1974 ↑Namyangju/Gapyeong↓ 32.4 Daeseong-ri Cheongpyeong Lake closed in 1969 39.9 Cheongpyeong 44.7 Sangcheon Bit Hill 49.5 Sangsaek closed in 1974 51.8 Gapyeong since 2010 53.4 Gapyeong until 2010 Bukhan River↑Gapyeong/Chuncheon↓ 58.0 Gyeongang until 2010 56.6 Gulbongsan since 2010 59.4 Baegyang-ri since 2010 64.7 Gangchon/old Baegyang (until 2010) Uiam closed in 1974 72.1 Gimyujeong 77.4 South Chuncheon until 2010 78.0 Namchuncheon since 2010 80.7 Chuncheon

When the new Gyeongchun Line was opened on December 21, 2010, passenger service was integrated into the Seoul Metropolitan Subway system as a name of Seoul Metropolitan Subway Gyeongchun Line (수도권 전철 경춘선).^[10] It brings that the system from Seoul all the way into Gangwon Province.^[3] The new service reduced travel time between Chuncheon and Sangbong in Seoul from two hours to 89 minutes, with different trains operating according to different stopping patterns; and increased capacity five-fold.^[3] Compared to the previous Mugunghwa-ho train service on the Gyeongchun Line, fares were reduced by half.^[3] For the service, Hyundai Rotem supplied Korail with fifteen eight-car Class 361000 EMU trains, out of which only fourteen trains remain in service on the line today.

Currently, Seoul Metropolitan Subway Gyeongchun Line serves mainly Sangbong station to Chuncheon station. Rare service to Cheongnyangni or Kwangwoon University station is also available, making it a Y-shaped line.^[9]

ITX-Cheongchun service

On February 28, 2012, Korail introduced the ITX-Cheongchun service (Intercity Train EXpress), which uses Class 368000 trains with double-deck cars. From Chuncheon Station, the fastest ITX trains take 52 minutes to Cheongnyangni station, and 68 minutes to Yongsan station in Seoul, operating at a maximum speed of 180 km/h (112 mph).^[5][11] The base fare is 9,800 won between Chuncheon and Yongsan, but Korail offers 15% discount at all time resulting price of 8,300 won. Basic discount rate was 30% until July 31, 2016, 25% until July 31, 2018, 15% since August 1, 2018.^[12]

Mugunghwa service

Some special Mugunghwa trains which deploy military troops takes the Gyeongchun Line.^[13]

Service Route

Current Services

Main Line

The following stations are along the Gyeongui-Jungang Line and the Gyeongchun Line itself.

The negative sign is only a convention for distance notation from Sangbong Station, the terminus of most services.

Station number	Station name			ITX-Cheongchun (Limited Express)	Express	Local	Transfer			Line name	Station dist.	Total dist.	Location
	Romanized	Hangul	Hanja								in km
K117	Cheongnyangni	청량리	淸凉里	●	●	○		Gyeongui–Jungang (shared)	Mugunghwa-ho, ITX-Saemaeul and Nuriro services	Jungang Line	2.4	-2.4	Seoul	Dongdaemun-gu
K118	Hoegi	회기	回基	|	●	○					1.4	-2.6
K119	Jungnang	중랑	中浪	|	|	○					1.8	-0.8		Jungnang District
K120	Sangbong	상봉	上鳳	▲	●	●			Mangu Line branch trains		0.8	0.0
K121	Mangu	망우	忘憂	|	|	●					0.6	0.6
P122	Sinnae	신내	新內	|	|	●				Gyeongchun Line	2.1	2.7
P123	Galmae	갈매	葛梅	|	●	●					2.6	5.3	Gyeonggi Province	Guri-si
P124	Byeollae	별내	別內	|	●	●	(2023)				1.4	6.7		Namyangju
P125	Toegyewon	퇴계원	退溪院	▲	●	●					1.6	8.3
P126	Sareung	사릉	思陵	▲	●	●					3.3	11.6
P127	Geumgok	금곡	金谷	|	|	●					3.6	15.2
P128	Pyeongnaehopyeong	평내호평	坪內好坪	○	●	●					4.0	19.2
P129	Cheonmasan	천마산	天摩山	|	|	●					4.2	23.4
P130	Maseok	마석	磨石	▲	●	●					2.2	25.6
P131	Daeseong-ri	대성리	大成里	|	|	●					7.4	33.0		Gapyeong County
P132	Cheongpyeong	청평	淸平	○	●	●					7.5	40.5
P133	Sangcheon	상천	上泉	|	|	●					4.8	45.3
P134	Gapyeong	가평	加平	●	●	●					7.1	52.4
P135	Gulbongsan	굴봉산	屈峰山	|	|	●					4.7	57.1	Gangwon Province	Chuncheon
P136	Baegyang-ri	백양리	白楊里	|	|	●					2.9	60.0
P137	Gangchon	강촌	江村	○	●	●					5.3	65.3
P138	Gimyujeong	김유정	金裕貞	|	|	●					7.4	72.7
P139	Namchuncheon	남춘천	南春川	●	●	●					5.9	78.6
P140	Chuncheon	춘천	春川	●	●	●					2.7	81.3
ITX-Cheongchun: Intercity Train Express, Cheongchun ●: regular stop ▲: limited service (weekdays only) ○: limited service | : all trains pass

Mangu Line Branch (very limited service)

Station number	Station name			Transfer	Line name	Station dist.	Total dist.	Location
	English	Hangul	Hanja			in km
119	Kwangwoon University	광운대	光云大		Mangu Line	—	-4.3	Seoul	Nowon District
K120	Sangbong	상봉	上鳳			0.0	4.3		Jungnang District

Former alignment

Station name			Connecting services	Station type
Romanized	Hangul	Hanja
Kwangwoon Univ.	광운대	光云大	via Gyeongwon	Aboveground
Singongdeok	신공덕	新孔德		Aboveground
Hwarangdae	화랑대	花郞臺		Aboveground
Toegyewon	퇴계원	退溪院		Aboveground
Sareung	사릉	思陵		Aboveground
Geumgok	금곡	金谷		Aboveground
Pyeongnaehopyeong	평내호평	坪內好坪		Aboveground
Maseok	마석	磨石		Aboveground
Daeseong-ri	대성리	大成里		Aboveground
Cheongpyeong	청평	淸平		Aboveground
Sangcheon	상천	上泉		Aboveground
Gapyeong	가평	加平		Aboveground
Gulbongsan	굴봉산	屈峰山		Aboveground
Baegyang-ri	백양리	白楊里		Aboveground
Gangchon	강촌	江村		Aboveground
Gimyujeong	김유정	金裕貞		Aboveground
Namchuncheon	남춘천	南春川		Aboveground
Chuncheon	춘천	春川		Aboveground

See also

• Korail
• Transportation in South Korea

References