Gyeongbu Line
Template:Short description Template:For Template:Infobox rail line Template:Infobox Korean name/auto
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.
History
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 (the Japanese Empire's name for Seoul). This railway line was intended by Japan to solidify its strategic positions against Russia, with which it would later fight the war.<ref name="Nakano">Template:Cite web</ref> Surveying began in 1896, and in spite of local protests, the Korean Empire gave Japan the right to build the line in 1898.<ref name="donga-hist">Template:Cite web</ref> Construction of the railway started on August 20, 1901, with a ceremony at Eitōho-ku, Keijō.<ref name="donga-hist"/> Construction was supervised by the Japanese, with local Koreans commandeered into forced labor and paid in coupons.<ref name="donga-hist"/><ref name="Nakano"/>
Japan also sought to gain control of the Keigi Railway project that was to extend tracks further north, recognizing the trunk route as a means to keep Korea under its influence.<ref name="Nakano"/> 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 (modern-day Yomgsan Station) in Keijō.<ref name="Nakano"/>
The Gyeongbu line was opened to the public on January 1, 1905, as the Template:Nihongo.<ref name="donga-hist"/><ref name="Toshikazu">Template:Cite web</ref> The first trains completed the rote in 17 hours 4 minutes.<ref name="korail-ts">Template:Cite web</ref> By April 1906, travel time was reduced to 11 hours,<ref name="korail-ts"/> while top speed reached Template:Convert.<ref name="rn-ts">Template:Cite web</ref> The line formed the backbone of transport in Korea under Japanese rule. Following the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, beginning on April 1, 1933, direct trains traversed the line from Busan to Andong (modern-day Dandong) across the border.<ref name="kriic2">Template:Cite web</ref> Beginning on December 1, 1936, the Akatsuki luxury express trains ran on the line at a maximum speed of Template:Convert, and achieved the shortest pre-war travel time of 6 hours 30 minutes<ref name="korail-ts"/> on the timetable of November 1, 1940.<ref name="rs-ts">Template:Cite web</ref>
Travel times greatly improved when the line was used during World War II.<ref name="rs-ts"/> Following World War II, the Seoul–Busan express train re-established on May 20, 1946,<ref name="rs-ts"/> was named Chosun Liberator.<ref name="kriic2"/> During the Korean War, the line transported troops and refugees.<ref name="kriic1">Template:Cite web</ref> The line remained the backbone of South Korea's transportation system after the war,<ref name="EffectofHSR2008"/> with the introduction of the diesel locomotives<ref name="kriic2"/> and the cross-country Mugunghwa-ho train class.<ref name="korail-ts"/> Following the 1961 coup, the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction initiated South Korea's first five-year plan, which included a construction program to complete the railway network, as a way to foster economic growth.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On the Gyeongbu Line, the effort was promoted with a new class of express trains called Jaegeon-ho, (Reconstruction train) introduced on May 15, 1962.<ref name="kriic2"/> 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 Template:Convert.<ref name="korail-ts"/>
Beginning in the 1960s, road construction began to make road transportation more attractive and faster. Although the top speed rose to Template:Convert and the Seoul–Busan travel time along the Gyeongbu Line was reduced to 4 hours 50 minutes by June 10, 1969,<ref name="korail-ts"/> travel time was only 4 to Template:Frac hours on the parallel Gyeongbu Expressway, completed in 1970.<ref name="EffectofHSR2008"/> Korean National Railroad responded by introducing the Saemaul-ho class of elevated-comfort express trains on August 15, 1974.<ref name="korail-ts"/> With the introduction of the new streamlined diesel locomotives and then diesel multiple units in the Saemaul-ho service,<ref name="kriic2"/> top speed was raised to Template:Convert and travel time was reduced to 4 hours 10 minutes with the timetable valid by November 16, 1985.<ref name="korail-ts"/>
Upgrade
The Gyeongbu Line was widely improved in parallel with the development of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway urban rapid transit system and the Korea Train Express (KTX) high-speed rail system beginning in the 1970s.
The Gyeongbu Line is six-tracked from Seoul to Guro, four-tracked from Guro to Cheonan,<ref name="electrification"/> and double-tracked from Cheonan all the way to Busan. The entire line is electrified.<ref name="electrification"/>
Relationship with the KTX project
The Seoul–Busan axis is Korea's main traffic corridor. In 1995, it was home to 73.3% of Korea's population, and conducted 70% of the freight and 66% of passenger traffic. With both the Gyeongbu Expressway and Korail's Gyeongbu Line congested, the government saw the need to develop railways.<ref name="EffectofHSR2008"/> The first proposals for a second Seoul-Busan railway line originated from a study conducted between 1972 and 1974 by experts from France's SNCF and Japan Railway Technical Service (JARTS) from a request from the IBRD.<ref name="EffectofHSR2008"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="EffectofHSR2008"/>
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.<ref name="EffectofHSR2008"/><ref name="iatss-costs">Template:Cite journal</ref>
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.<ref name="rgi-korailplans">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref>
Electrification
The line was electrified in stages from 1974 to 2006:<ref name="electrification">Template:Cite web</ref>
| Section | Length | Start of electric operation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul–Suwon | 41.5 km | August 15, 1974 | Integration into Seoul Subway Line 1 |
| Yeongdeungpo–Suwon | 32.3 km | December 23, 1981 | Second pair of tracks |
| Yongsan–Guro | 8.5 km | December 30, 1996 | Third pair of tracks |
| Suwon–Byeongjeom | 7.2 km | April 30, 2003 | Four tracks; extension of Seoul Subway Line 1 |
| Byeongjeom–Cheonan | 48.4 km | January 20, 2005 | Four tracks |
| Cheonan–Jochiwon | 32.7 km | March 30, 2005 | |
| Jochiwon–Daejeonjochajang | 34.9 km | July 1, 2005 | |
| Daejeonjochajang–Daejeon–Okcheon | 20.7 km | April 1, 2004 | For KTX trains |
| Okcheon–Sangdong | 125.3 km | Dec 8, 2006 | |
| Sangdong–Daegu–Busan | 132.8 km | April 1, 2004 | For KTX trains |
For KTX trains and new electric locomotives, top speed was also raised to up to 150 km/h.<ref name="electrification"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Services
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.<ref name="booking">Template:Cite web</ref>
KTX
Template:Main Korail launched KTX high-speed services with the opening of the first phase of the Gyeongbu HSR on April 1, 2004.<ref name="EffectofHSR2008"/> The Seoul–Busan travel distance was shortened to 408.5 km, the shortest travel time was 2 hours 40 minutes.<ref name="EffectofHSR2008"/>
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.<ref name="EffectofHSR2008"/><ref name="booking"/> In addition, some trains continue beyond Seoul Station for 14.9 km along the Gyeongui Line to terminate at Haengsin station,<ref name="booking"/> next to which KTX trains have a depot.<ref name="LaunchHSR2007">Template:Cite journal</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="booking"/><ref name="Korail-Nov2010">Template:Cite web</ref>
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;<ref name="plans2020">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="EffectofHSR2008"/> 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.<ref name="booking"/> 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.<ref name="GinGum"/> However, these services were discontinued with the opening of the Gimcheon–Gumi station on the high-speed line.<ref name="GinGum">Template:Cite web</ref>
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,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and will be extended to Jinju by 2012.<ref name="suseoannounce">Template:Cite web</ref> Stops along the Gyeongbu Line will be at Dongdaegu and Miryang.
Evolution of long-distance passenger traffic
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.<ref name="EffectofHSR2008">Template:Cite journal</ref> 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.<ref name="EffectofHSR2008"/> 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.<ref name="EffectofHSR2008"/>
| Seoul to... | Cheonan | Daejeon | Daegu | Busan | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Total | Without KTX | Total | Without KTX | Total | Without KTX | Total | Without KTX | |||
| 2003/4 | 21.1% | 21.1% | 27.5% | 27.5% | 40.5% | 40.5% | 38.0% | 38.0% | |||
| 2004/5 | 24.2% | 19.2% | 33.9% | 14.0% | 63.6% | 11.4% | 60.9% | 10.6% | |||
Station list
| ● | Stops at the station |
| ｜ | Does not stop at the station |
| ○ | Limited service(Line 1), Some train stops(Long Distance) |
