Kangdok Line

Kangdok Line
Chosŏn'gŭl	강덕선
Hancha	康德線
Revised Romanization	Gangdeok-seon
McCune–Reischauer	Kangdŏk-sŏn

Kangdŏk Line
Kangdŏk Line
Overview
Native name	강덕선(康德線)
Status	Operational
Owner	Chosen Government Railway (1941–1945); Korean State Railway (since 1945)
Locale	Ch'ŏngjin-si, North Hamgyŏng
Termini	Namgangdŏk; Susŏng;
Stations	4
Service
Type	Heavy rail, Passenger & freight rail; Regional rail
History
Opened	1 December 1941
Technical
Line length	15.2 km (9.4 mi)
Number of tracks	Single track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	3000 V DC Overhead line
Route map
Route map
	Legend
	1.3
	0.0

The Kangdŏk Line is an electrified standard-gauge secondary line of the North Korean State Railway running from Namgangdŏk on the P'yŏngra Line to Susŏng on the Hambuk Line.^[1]

Ch'ŏngjin Choch'ajang, Ch'ŏngjin's large marshalling yard, is located on this line.^[1]

History

The first rail line to reach Susŏng was the Ch'ŏngjin−Ch'angp'yŏng section of the Hamgyŏng Line, opened by the Chosen Government Railway (Sentetsu) on 5 November 1916. On 31 July 1917, the management of Sentetsu was transferred from the Railway Bureau of the Government-General of Korea to the South Manchuria Railway (Mantetsu). Under Mantetsu management, construction of the Hamgyŏng Line was accelerated, and to handle increasing freight traffic on the line, a large marshalling yard, called Ch'ŏngjin Choch'ajang, was built near Ch'ŏngjin.^[1] To access this, a new 14.9 km (9.3 mi) line between Ranam and Susŏng was opened on 10 December 1919; Kangdŏk Station, located 7.2 km (4.5 mi) from Ranam, was opened on 1 August 1922.

On 1 December 1941, a new line was opened between Ranam and Ch'ŏngjin to allow trains to bypass the Ch'ŏngjin marshalling yard. The existing line, running via Kangdŏk and the marshalling yard, was detached from the Hamgyeong Line and designated the Kangdŏk Line; at the same time, a 2.4 km (1.5 mi) connection from Ch'ŏngjin Sŏhang Station (Ch'ŏngjin West Port, today called Songp'yŏng) to Kangdŏk was built, to allow southbound trains to access the marshalling yard without having to reverse at Ranam.^[2]

Services

Two passenger trains are known to operate on this line:^[1]

Local trains 601/604, operating between Ch'ŏngjin Ch'ŏngnyŏn and Kŭndong, run on this line between Namgangdŏk and Kŭndong;
Local trains 608/608'609, operating between Kŭndong and Songp'yŏng, run on this line between Kŭndong and Namgangdŏk.

Route

A yellow background in the "Distance" box indicates that section of the line is not electrified.

Distance (km)		Station Name		Former Name
Total	S2S	Transcribed	Chosŏn'gŭl (Hanja)	Transcribed	Chosŏn'gŭl (Hanja)	Connections
0.0	0.0	Namgangdŏk (South Kangdŏk)	님강덕 (南康德)			P'yŏngra Line
1.3	1.3	Kangdŏk	강덕 (康德)			Kŭndong Branch
7.3	6.0	Kŭndong	근동 (芹洞)			Kŭndong Branch
15.2	7.9	Susŏng	수성 (輸城)			Hambuk Line

Kŭndong Branch

Electrified.

Distance (km)		Station Name		Former Name
Total	S2S	Transcribed	Chosŏn'gŭl (Hanja)	Transcribed	Chosŏn'gŭl (Hanja)	Connections
0.0	0.0	Kangdŏk	강덕 (康德)			Kangdŏk Line
5.5	5.5	Ch'ŏngjin Choch'ajang (Ch'ŏngjin Marshalling Yard)	청진조차장 (淸津操車場)
8.1	2.6	Kŭndong	근동 (芹洞)			Kangdŏk Line

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), ISBN 978-4-10-303731-6
^ 朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 4449, 22 November 1941 (in Japanese)

[Hayato-1] Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), ISBN 978-4-10-303731-6

[Showa4449-2] 朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 4449, 22 November 1941 (in Japanese)

[1]

[2]