Musan Line

Musan Line
Overview
Type	Heavy rail, Regional rail
Status	Operational
Locale	North Hamgyŏng, Musan, Puryŏng
Termini	Komusan Musan
Stations	13
Operation
Opened	Stages between 1927-1929 1 May 1940 (converted to standard gauge)
Owner	Korean State Railway
Operator(s)	Korean State Railway
Technical
Line length	57.9 km (36.0 mi)
Number of tracks	Double track (Komusan - Sinch'am) Single track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	3000 V DC Catenary
Route map Legend 60.4 Musan Kangan Closed Paengmu Line 57.9 Musan 54.3 Musan Ch'ŏlsan 50.5 Ch'ŏlsong Ch'ŏngnyŏn Musan Mining Branch Saegil 3.0 Musan Kwangsan 45.7 Chuch'o 39.4 Sŏp'ungsan 33.6 Sinch'am 26.6 Kŭmp'ae ↑Musan/Puryŏng↓ 18.9 Ch'aryŏng 14.5 P'yemusan 8.9 Musu 4.2 Sŏsang Hambuk Line 0.0 Komusan Hambuk Line

The Musan Line is an electrified standard-gauge secondary mainline of the North Korean State Railway running from Komusan on the Hambuk Line to Musan, where it connects to the narrow-gauge Paengmu Line.^[1] The section from Komusan to Sinch'am is double tracked.

The line starts at Komusan on the Hambuk Line, following the Susŏngch'ŏn stream through the Hamgyŏng Mountains of Puryŏng and Musan Counties to Musan. The line is 57.9 km in length, with 13 stations.^[2]

There is a sorting yard at Musan Station and locomotive facilities at Ch'ŏlsong.^[2]

History

In order to exploit the rich iron deposits of the Musan region, the Chosen Railway Company began construction of this line, calling it the Hambuk Line (not to be confused with the current Hambuk Line, which at that time was part of the Hamgyŏng Line). The line was opened in two parts - the Komusan-Sinch'am section opening on 20 August 1927, and the Sinch'am-Musan segment being opened on 15 November 1929. On 1 February 1937, Musan Ch'ŏlsan station was opened.

Originally built as a narrow-gauge line, the conversion to standard gauge was completed on 1 May 1940, and; the extension to Musan Kangan station was completed then as well. On 1 April 1944, the line was absorbed into the Government Railways of Chosen(朝鮮総督府鉄道); at the same time, the line was renamed to its current name, Musan Line, and the extension to Musan Kangan station was closed.

In order to facilitate the transport of ironstone from the Musan Mining complex, the 33.6 km section between Sinch'am and Komusan was double-tracked, and electrification of the line was completed in 1977.^[2]

Services

Freight

Freight traffic on the Musan Line is 7.5 times greater in the eastbound (Musan-Komusan) direction than the reverse. 94.2% of the freight moved towards Komusan is magnetite ore from the Musan Mining Complex; timber accounts for 4.3%. From Komusan to Musan coal forms the majority of freight, along with other necessities - grain, fertiliser, cement etc. A large portion of westbound trains consist of empty cars bound for the mines at Musan.^[2]

Most traffic on the line is between the Musan Mining Complex and the Kim Chaek Steel Complex, the Ch'ŏngjin Steel Works, the Sŏngjin Steel Complex and export goods to Namyang Station for forwarding to China.

Passenger

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

• Express trains 9/10, operating between P'yŏngyang and Musan, runs along the entirety of this line between Komusan and Musan;
• Two daily pairs of local trains, 662/663 and 668/669, operate between Musan and Chuch'o.

There are also local trains running between Musan and Ch'ŏngjin at the southern junction of the Hambuk and P'yŏngra lines. Further, there are several daily commuter trains for workers between Musan and Ch'ŏlsong and for students between Musan and Komusan.^[2]

Route

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

Mainline

Musan Mining Branch

Not electrified.

References

Musan Line
Mainline	Komusan Sŏsang Musu P'yemusan Ch'aryŏng Kŭmp'ae Sinch'am Sŏp'ungsan Chuch'o Ch'ŏlsong Ch'ŏngnyŏn Musan Ch'ŏlsan Musan
Musan Mining Branch	Ch'ŏlsong Ch'ŏngnyŏn Musan Kwangsan