Sinhung Line

The Sinhŭng Line is an electrified 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) narrow gauge railway line of the Korean State Railway in South Hamgyŏng Province, North Korea, running from Hamhŭng (Hamhŭng-si) to Pujŏnhoban (Pujŏn-gun) on Lake Pujŏn via Sinhŭng (Sinhŭng-gun).[1]

Sinhŭng Line
Overview
Native name신흥선(新興線)
StatusOperational
LocaleSouth Hamgyŏng Province
Termini
Stations16
Service
TypeHeavy rail, Passenger/Freight rail
Regional rail
Operator(s)Sinhŭng Railway (1923–1938)
Chosen Railway (1938–1945)
Korean State Railway (since 1945)
Depot(s)Sinhŭng, Hamhŭng
History
Opened10 June 1923 (Hamhŭng—Yŏnggwang)
25 August 1923 (Yŏnggwang—Changp'ung)
1 October 1926 (P'ungsang—Sinhŭng)
1 February 1928 (Sinhŭng—Songhŭng)
10 September 1932 (Songhŭng—Pujŏnhoban)
Technical
Line length91.6 km (56.9 mi)
Number of tracksSingle track
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
(Hamhŭng – Sinhŭng)
762 mm (2 ft 6 in)
(Sinhŭng – Pujŏnhoban)
Electrification3000 V DC Overhead line Hamhŭng−Sinhŭng
1500 V DC Overhead line Sinhŭng−Pujŏnhoban
Route map

 Sinhŭng Line (narrow gauge)
 Sinhŭng Line (standard gauge)
 Changjin Line
 P'yŏngra Line
 Sŏho Line
 Pinallon Line
Pujŏn River
50.6
 Pujŏnhoban
47.9
 Toan
40.0
 Pujŏn
(bridge appx 45 m (148 ft))
33.7
 Hamjiwŏn
27.1
 Pujŏllyŏng
25.4
 Paegamsan
top of cable-hauled section
cable-hauled section, 550 m (1,800 ft)
bottom of cable-hauled section
Kŭmsilch'ŏn
(bridge appx 35 m (115 ft))
20.0
 Songhŭng
19.0
 Hasonghŭng
Closed
(bridge appx 30 m (98 ft))
14.9
 Songha
underground facility
13.1
 Kyŏnghŭng
Sŏngch'ŏngang
6.9
 Tonghŭng
Tonghŭngch'ŏn
(bridge appx 145 m (476 ft))
2.8
 Kilbong
Closed
1.5
 P'ungdŏk
(bridge appx 280 m (920 ft))
Sŏgoch'ŏn
(bridge appx 210 m (690 ft))
41.0
0.0
 Sinhŭng
(bridge appx 95 m (312 ft))
Ch'ŏnbulsanch'ŏn
(bridge appx 80 m (260 ft))
33.5
 Ch'ŏnbulsan
30.7
 Chŏndong
28.2
 Changpung
Closed
(bridge appx 65 m (213 ft))
25.9
 P'ungsang
Sanch'angch'ŏn
(bridge appx 80 m (260 ft))
17.0
 Yŏnggwang
Changjin Line
(bridge appx 415 m (1,362 ft))
12.3
 Changhŭng
9.3
 Pumin
6.6
 Kadam
Chongsŏng Street
0.0
 West Hamhŭng
0.0
 Hamhŭng
←to P'yŏngyang
-3.9
 Hamhŭng Choch'ajang
Sŏho Line to Sŏho
Pinallon Line to Hŭngnam
to Rajin
Sinhung Line
Chosŏn'gŭl
Hancha
Revised RomanizationSinheung-seon
McCune–ReischauerSinhŭng-sŏn

Between Hamhŭng and Sinhŭng, a distance of 40.9 km (25.4 mi), the line is standard gauge, but the remaining 50.6 km (31.4 mi) from Sinhŭng to the terminus at Pujŏnhoban is 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) narrow gauge;[2] the narrow gauge section is also electrified.[1]

Though primarily an industrial railway connecting to the Pujŏn River hydroelectric power plant, it also plays an important role in passenger transportation in the region. There is a 550 m (1,800 ft) section between Songhŭng and Pujŏllyŏng that is cable-hauled.[2]

History

During the Japanese colonial era, the privately owned Sinhŭng Railway built a network of narrow-gauge lines north of Hamhŭng. These were the Hamnam Line (not to be confused with the line of the same name of the Chosen Magnesite Development Railway, nowadays called Kŭmgol Line), to assist in the construction of the Pujŏn River hydroelectric power plant and to exploit forestry and other resources in the area.[2] When complete, the Hamnam Line ran from Hamhŭng to Hamnam Sinhŭng (nowadays called simply Sinhŭng) via Oro (nowadays Yŏnggwang), with a branch from Oro to Sang'tong. Later, the Sinhŭng Railway opened the Songhŭng Line from Sinhŭng to Pujŏnhoban. The Sinhŭng Railway was bought by the Chosen Railway on 22 April 1938.[3]

Between 1934 and 1936, the Sinhŭng Railway opened a line south from Hamhŭng, the Namhŭng Line.

Section Opening date Length Line Notes
Hamhŭng - Oro (Yŏnggwang) 10 June 1923 17.0 km (10.6 mi) Hamnam Line
Oro - Changpung 25 August 1923 11.2 km (7.0 mi) Hamnam Line Changp'ung Station subsequently closed.
West Hamhŭng Station 25 August 1923 Hamnam Line
P'ungsang - Hamnam Sinhŭng (Sinhŭng) 1 October 1926 15.1 km (9.4 mi) Hamnam Line
Hamnam Sinhŭng - Hamnam Songhŭng (Songhŭng) 1 February 1928 20.0 km (12.4 mi) Songhŭng Line
Kilbong Station 12 April 1932 Songhŭng Line Subsequently, closed.
Hamnam Songhŭng - Pujŏnhoban 10 September 1932 31.6 km (19.6 mi) Songhŭng Line
Chŏndong Station 16 October 1933 Hamnam Line Subsequently, closed.

After the establishment of the DPRK and the nationalisation of its railways, the Hamnam Line was split up, with the Hamhŭng - Oro - Sinhŭng section becoming the Sinhŭng Line, and the Oro - Sangt'ong section becoming part of the Changjin Line. At the same time, the Songhŭng Line was merged into the Sinhŭng Line, extending it to its current length. Originally built entirely as a narrow gauge line, frequent accidents on the line led the Korean State Railway to convert the Hamhŭng—Sinhŭng to standard gauge for greater safety and increased transportation capacity.[2] After the regauging of this section, West Hamhŭng station was disconnected from the Hamhŭng—Sinhŭng, leaving Hamhŭng as the only direct junction point with the Sŏho Line. Electrification of the line to Pujŏnhoban was completed in 1992.[1]

Services

Freight

The primary outbound freight shipped on the Sinhŭng Line is wood; potatoes and metals are also shipped out. Goods arriving onto the line from elsewhere include coal (anthracite and bituminous), fertiliser, aquatic products, grains and cement.[2]

Passenger
See also: List of passenger train services in North Korea

Though primarily an industrial railway connecting to the Pujŏn River hydroelectric power plant, it also plays an important role in passenger transportation in the region.[2] A pair of local passenger trains, 880/881, operate on the standard gauge section of this line between Hamhŭng and Sinhŭng;[1] there are also passenger trains on the narrow-gauge section north of Sinhŭng.

Route

A yellow background in the "Distance" box indicates that section of the line is not electrified; a pink background indicates that section is 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) narrow gauge; an orange background indicates that section is non-electrified narrow gauge.

Distance (km)Station NameFormer Name
TotalS2STranscribedChosŏn'gŭl (Hanja)TranscribedChosŏn'gŭl (Hanja)Connections
(Former)
-3.9 0.0 Hamhŭng Choch'ajang 함흥 (咸興) Pinallon Line
Although part of the P'yŏngra Line and not Sinhŭng Line, all (standard-gauge) Sinhŭng Line trains travel to/from Hamhŭng Choch'ajang.
0.0 3.9 Hamhŭng 함흥 (咸興) P'yŏngra Line,
Sŏho Line
1.0 1.0 Sŏhamhŭng
(West Hamhŭng)		 서함흥 (西咸興) (Sŏho Line).
No longer on Sinhŭng Line.
6.6 6.6 Kadam 가담 (-) Hŭngsang 흥상 (興祥)
9.3 2.7 Pumin 부민 (富民) Closed.
12.3 3.0 Changhŭng 장흥 (長興)
17.0 4.7 Yŏnggwang 영광 (栄光) Oro 오로 (五老) Changjin Line
25.9 8.9 P'ungsang 풍상 (豊上)
28.2 2.3 Changp'ung 장풍 (長豊) Closed.
30.7 4.8 Chŏndong 전동 (典洞) Distance from P'ungsang.
33.5 2.8 Ch'ŏnbulsan 천불산 (千仏山)
41.0
0.0		 7.5
0.0		 Sinhŭng 신흥 (新興) Hamnam Sinhŭng 함남신흥 (咸南新興)
2.8 2.8 Kilbong 길봉 (吉峰) Closed.
6.9 4.1 Tonghŭng 동흥 (東興)
13.1 6.2 Kyŏnghŭng 경흥 (慶興)
14.9 1.8 Songha 송하 (松下)
19.0 4.1 Hasonghŭng 하송흥 (下松興) Closed.
20.0 1.0 Songhŭng 송흥 (松興) Hamnam Songhŭng 함남송흥 (咸南松興)
25.4 5.4 Paegamsan 백암산 (白岩山) Service halt
27.1 1.7 Pujŏllyŏng 부전령 (赴戦嶺)
33.7 6.6 Hamjiwŏn 함지원 (咸地院)
40.0 3.8 Pujŏn 부전 (赴戦)
47.9 7.9 Toan 도안 (道安) Hamnam Toan 함남도안 (咸南道安)
50.6 2.7 Pujŏnhoban 부전호반 (赴戦湖畔)

References
  1. Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), ISBN 978-4-10-303731-6
  2. "신흥선". terms.naver.com (in Korean). Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  3. 朝鮮總督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 3385, 3 May 1938
  • Japanese Government Railways (1937). 鉄道停車場一覧 昭和12年10月1日現在 [The List of the Stations as of 1 October 1937] (in Japanese). Tokyo: kawaguchi Printing Company. pp. 510–511, 516–517.

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