Pochon Line

{{Short description|Former railway line in North Korea}} {{Infobox rail line |box_width=auto |name=Poch'ŏn Line |other_name=Paektusan Forest Railway 백두산림철선(白頭山林鐵線) |native_name=보천선(普天線) |native_name_lang=ko |type=[[Passenger rail terminology#Heavy rail|Heavy rail]] |system= |status=Closed |locale=[[Ryanggang Province|Ryanggang]] |start=Karim |end=Ryanggang Taep'yŏng |stations=8 |routes= |daily_ridership= |planopen= |open= 1940s |close= 1994 |owner=[[Korean State Railway]] |stock= |linelength={{convert|31.5|km|abbr=on}} |tracks=[[Single-track railway|Single track]] |gauge={{Track gauge|762 mm|lk=on}} |minradius= |routenumber= |linenumber= |electrification=1500 V [[Direct current|DC]] [[Overhead line]] (Karim–Poch'ŏn) |speed= |elevation= |website= | map = [[Image:DPRK-Paektusan Rimchol Line.png|300px]] {{routemap | inline=1 | map= \uexCONTg\~~ ~~ ~~[[Samjiyon Line|Samjiyŏn Line]] \uexSTR!~exlELC\ exELCa\uexSTR!~exKHSTa\~~''0.0''~~''Karim''~~ ~~''Closed'' exBL\uexSTRl!~exSTR\uexCONTf@Fq!~lELC~~ ~~ ~~[[Samjiyon Line|Samjiyŏn Line]] exBL\exhKRZWae\~~ ~~ ~~[[Karimchon|Karimch'ŏn]] exBL\exSTR\~~ ~~ ~~(bridge appx {{convert|55|m|ft|abbr=on}}) exELCe\exHST\~~''3.3''~~''Poch'ŏn''~~ ~~''Closed'' \exHST\~~''5.7''~~''Konjangdŏk''~~ ~~''Closed'' \exhKRZWae\~~ ~~ ~~(bridge appx {{convert|45|m|ft|abbr=on}}) \exhKRZWae\~~ ~~ ~~[[Karimchon|Karimch'ŏn]] \exSTR\~~ ~~ ~~(bridge appx {{convert|60|m|ft|abbr=on}}) \exHST\~~''10.2''~~''Naegok''~~ ~~''Closed'' \exhKRZWae\~~ ~~ ~~[[Karimchon|Karimch'ŏn]] \exSTR\~~ ~~ ~~(bridge appx {{convert|50|m|ft|abbr=on}}) \exHST\~~''15.6''~~''Onsu''~~ ~~''Closed'' \exhKRZWae\~~ ~~ ~~[[Karimchon|Karimch'ŏn]] \exSTR\~~ ~~ ~~(bridge appx {{convert|50|m|ft|abbr=on}}) \exHST\~~''20.9''~~''Taejin''~~ ~~''Closed'' \exhKRZWae\~~ ~~ ~~[[Karimchon|Karimch'ŏn]] \exSTR\~~ ~~ ~~(bridge appx {{convert|60|m|ft|abbr=on}}) \exHST\~~''24.8''~~''Ryŏsu''~~ ~~''Closed'' \exhKRZWae\~~ ~~ ~~[[Karimchon|Karimch'ŏn]] \exSTR\~~ ~~ ~~(bridge appx {{convert|40|m|ft|abbr=on}}) \exKHSTe\~~''31.5''~~''Ryanggang Taep'yŏng''~~ ~~''Closed'' }} }} {{Infobox Korean name/auto |hangul=^보천선 |hanja=普天線 }}

The '''Poch'ŏn Line''', also known as '''Paektusan Rimch'ŏl Line''' (''Mount Paektu Forestry Line''), is a former partially electrified narrow gauge line of the [[Korean State Railway]] in [[Ryanggang Province]], [[North Korea]], running from [[Karim Station|Karim]] on the [[Samjiyŏn Line]] to [[Ryanggang Taepyong Station|Ryanggang Taep'yŏng]].<ref name="Hayato">Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), {{ISBN|978-4-10-303731-6}}</ref>

==History== Opened around the same time as the connecting [[Samjiyon Line|Samjiyŏn Line]], extensive flooding in 1994 led to the closure of the line.<ref name="2012stop">[http://www.dailynk.com/korean/read.php?cataId=nk04500&num=77344 北 자재난 심각…2012년 국책사업 줄줄이 ‘중단’], 《데일리NK》, 2009.10.09.</ref><ref name="dnk16-10-08">[http://www.dailynk.com/korean/read.php?num=62730&cataId=nk04500 “사람 굶는데 ‘김일성 100년’ 공사 한창”], 《데일리NK》, 2008.10.16.</ref>

In August 1980, [[Kim Il Sung]] ordered the construction of a new east–west transversal trunk line in the extreme north of the country.<ref name="tongil">[http://www.tongilnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=105655 북한 북부철길 개건사업 마감단계.. ‘제2의 마식령속도’ 창조]</ref> To accomplish this, railway engineers planned the new line, called the [[Pukpu Line]], connecting [[Manpo|Manp'o]] in the west with [[Hoeryong|Hoeryŏng]] in the east to make use of parts of existing lines where possible to reduce the amount of new construction needed.<ref name="konsol">[http://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=2090718&cid=44454&categoryId=44461 북부 철길 건설]</ref> Construction of this line was to take place in three stages. The first stage, completed in 1988, extended the former [[Unbong Line]] to [[Hyesan]], resulting in the current Pukpu Line; the second stage was to have connected Hyesan to [[Musan]] on the [[Musan Line]],<ref name="konsol"/> and the third stage was to have connected Musan to Hoeryŏng on the [[Hambuk Line]].<ref name="konsol"/>

Construction of the second stage was to have made use of parts of existing lines in several places. From Hyesan to [[Wiyon Chongnyon Station|Wiyŏn]] it was to have shared the existing standard gauge trackage of the [[Paektusan Chongnyon Line|Paektusan Ch'ŏngnyŏn Line]]. The plan also included the conversion to standard gauge of four sections of existing narrow gauge lines: from Wiyŏn to [[Karim Station|Karim]], the existing section of the Samjiyŏn line was to have been regauged; from Karim to [[Pochon Station|Poch'ŏn]] the existing section of the Poch'ŏn Line was to have been regauged, from [[Rimyongsu Station|Rimyŏngsu]] to Motka, the remaining portion of the Samjiyŏn Line was to have been converted, and from [[Hungam Station|Hŭngam]] to [[Musan Station|Musan]] the existing section of the narrow gauge [[Paengmu Line]] was to have been regauged. Then, new track was to be laid between Poch'ŏn and Rimyŏngsu and between Motka and Hŭngam to connect the regauged sections into a complete line.<ref name="konsol"/> Although some initial work was started on the second stage, the DPRK's financial crisis of the 1990s led to the project being suspended.

==Route==

A yellow background in the "Distance" box indicates that section of the line is not electrified; a pink background indicates that section is {{RailGauge|2ft6in|lk=on}} [[Narrow gauge railway|narrow gauge]]; an orange background indicates that section is non-electrified narrow gauge.

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;" |- ! colspan="2" | Distance (km) !! colspan="2" | Station Name !! colspan="2" | Former Name !! |- ! Total !! S2S !! Transcribed !! Chosŏn'gŭl (Hanja) !! Transcribed !! Chosŏn'gŭl (Hanja) !! Connections |- | bgcolor=#F78181|<del>0.0</del> | bgcolor=#F78181|<del>0.0</del> | <del>Karim</del> | <del>가림 (佳林)</del> | | | [[Samjiyon Line|Samjiyŏn Line]] |- | bgcolor=#F78181|<del>3.3</del> | bgcolor=#F78181|<del>3.3</del> | Poch'ŏn | 보천 (普天) | | | ''Closed.'' |- | bgcolor=#FE9A2E|<del>5.7</del> | bgcolor=#FE9A2E|<del>2.4</del> | Konjangdŏk | 곤장덕 (棍杖德) | | | ''Closed.'' |- | bgcolor=#FE9A2E|<del>10.2</del> | bgcolor=#FE9A2E|<del>4.5</del> | Naegok | 내곡 (內曲) | | | ''Closed.'' |- | bgcolor=#FE9A2E|<del>15.6</del> | bgcolor=#FE9A2E|<del>5.4</del> | Onsu | 온수 (溫水) | | | ''Closed.'' |- | bgcolor=#FE9A2E|<del>20.9</del> | bgcolor=#FE9A2E|<del>5.3</del> | Taejin | 대진 (大鎭) | | | ''Closed.'' |- | bgcolor=#FE9A2E|<del>24.8</del> | bgcolor=#FE9A2E|<del>3.9</del> | Ryŏsu | 려수 (麗水) | | | ''Closed.'' |- | bgcolor=#FE9A2E|<del>31.5</del> | bgcolor=#FE9A2E|<del>6.7</del> | Ryanggang Taep'yŏng | 량강대평 (兩江大坪) | P'yŏngmul | 평물 (-) | ''Closed.'' |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

[[Category:Railway lines in North Korea]] [[Category:2 ft 6 in gauge railways in North Korea]]