Contents 1 Railways 1.1 Major Railway Lines 1.2 Classes of service 1.3 Special trains 1.4 High-speed service 1.5 Services to North Korea

[edit] Railways

total: 6,240 km
standard gauge: 6,240 km 1.435-m gauge (525 km electrified) (1998 est.)

Railways are one of the primary means by which South Koreans travel over long distances within the country. The Korean National Railroad (Hanguk Cheoldo (한국 철도) or Gukcheol (국철) in Korean; KNR for short) (English Site) (Korean Site) is the sole passenger railway operator.

[edit] Major Railway Lines

The principal railway line is the Gyeongbu Line (경부선), which connects the capital and largest city (Seoul) with the country's second largest city and largest seaport (Busan). Here is a table of major railway lines in South Korea:

Line	Name in Hangeul	Major Stations Served
Gyeongbu Line	경부선	Seoul, Suwon, Daejeon, Daegu (Dongdaegu), Busan
Gyeongin Line	경인선	Guro, Incheon
Gyeongui Line	경의선	Seoul, Dorasan
Gyeongwon Line	경원선	Yongsan, Cheongnyangni, Uijeongbu, Shintan-ni
Gyeongchun Line	경춘선	Cheongnyangni, Seongbuk, Chuncheon
Janghang Line	장항선	Cheonan, Janghang
Chungbuk Line	충북선	Jochiwon, Cheongju, Chungju, Jecheon (Bongyang)
Honam Line	호남선	Daejeon, Iksan, Gwangju (Songjeongni), Mokpo
Jeolla Line	전라선	Iksan, Jeonju, Suncheon, Yeosu
Gyeongbuk Line	경북선	Gimcheon, Yeongju
Jungang Line	중앙선	Cheongnyangni, Wonju, Jecheon, Yeongju, Andong, Gyeongju
Yeongdong Line	영동선	Yeongju, Donghae, Gangneung
Taebaek Line	태백선	Jecheon, Taebaek
Donghae Nambu Line	동해 남부선	Busan, Ulsan, Gyeongju, Pohang
Gyeongjeon Line	경전선	Samnangjin, Masan, Jinju, Suncheon, Gwangju (Songjeongni)

For former or proposed railway lines, see also the articles on the Gimpo Line, Suin Line, Kŭmgang-san Line, and Donghae Bukbu Line. There is no railway service on Jeju-do Island.

[edit] Classes of service

Frequent service is provided on most routes, with trains every 15-60 minutes connecting Seoul to all major South Korean cities. Four classes of train operate: KTX, which is the Korean high-speed railway system, will take you from downtown Seoul to downtown Busan faster than an airplane, makes less stops and is more expensive too; the Saemaeul (새마을호, "New Village") service, makes the few stops; Mugunghwa (무궁화호, "Rose of Sharon") service, which is the most popular, stops at most but not all stations, and offers a mixture of reserved and unreserved seating; and Tongil (통일호, "Unification") service, which is the slowest and cheapest of the three, stops at all stops, and offers no reserved seating.

[edit] Special trains

The KNR operates a weekly steam excursion train on Sundays between Seoul and Uijeongbu via the Gyooe (교외; pronounced "Gyo-way") Line. A handful of sleeper trains provide overnight sleeping car service between Seoul and the cities of Busan, Mokpo, and Yeosu. A private narrow-gauge railway (the Suin Line) used to operate between Suwon and Incheon, but it was abandoned in the 1990s.

[edit] High-speed service

A high-speed railway known as (KTX) is currently in service between Seoul and Busan via Cheonan-Asan, Daejeon, and Daegu. The railway uses French TGV technology. Service started in April 2004—with some sections operating along preexisting track—while service on the railway's fully separated tracks is planned to begin in 2010. Trains can reach a maximum speed of 300 km/h on dedicated high-speed track.

[edit] Services to North Korea

Until the division of Korea following the end of the Second World War, the Gyeongi Line and Gyeongwon Line extended into what is now North Korea. The Gyeongi Line connected Seoul to Kaesŏng, P'yŏngyang, and Shinŭiju on the Chinese border, while the Gyeongwon Line served Wŏnsan on the east coast. Another line--the Kŭmgang-san Line--connected the Southern city of Cheorwon on the Gyeongwon Line to Mt. Kŭmgang in the North. The Gyeongui Line is one of two lines whose south and north halves are now being reconnected, the other line being the Donghae Bukbu Line.

This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original article was at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportation_in_South_Korea#Railways. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. The text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License..