Gyooe Line

The Gyooe Line (suburb line) is a railway line in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, that connects Neunggok Station in Goyang City (northwest of Seoul) with Uijeongbu Station in Uijeongbu, north of Seoul.

Gyooe Line
Overview
Native name	교외선(郊外線)
Status	Operational
Owner	Korea Rail Network Authority
Locale	Gyeonggi
Termini	Neunggok Uijeongbu
Service
Type	Freight rail
Operator(s)	Korail
History
Opened	Stages between 1961–1963
Technical
Line length	31.8 km (19.8 mi)
Number of tracks	Single track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Route map Legend Gyeongui Line 0.0 Neunggok National Route 39 1.5 Daegok → 2.8 Daejeong 5.7 Wolleung Seoul Ring Expressway 7.8 Samneung National Route 39 National Route 1 12.0 Byeokje ↑Goyang/Yangju↓ 16.7 Iryeong National Route 39 19.1 Jangheung 19.9 Onreung National Route 39 23.1 Songchu ↑Yangju/Uijeongbu↓ National Route 39 Gyeongwon Line 30.6 Ganeung 31.8 Uijeongbu Gyeongwon Line

Gyooe Line
Hangul	교외선
Hanja	郊外線
Revised Romanization	Gyooeseon
McCune–Reischauer	Kyooesŏn

History

Work on the line began already in October 1959.^[1] Following the 1961 coup, the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction started South Korea's first five-year plan, which included a construction program to complete the railway network, to foster economic growth.^[1] The 31.8 km (19.8 mi) line from Neunggok on the Gyeongui Line to Uijeongbu on the Gyeongwon Line was incorporated into the program and was completed on August 20, 1963.^[1]

Operation

Currently, the line is single-track, unelectrified,^[2] sees very little use and has no scheduled passenger service. Irregular freight train service was stopped in October 2013; Iryeong Station was downgraded to unattended station on January 24, 2014.After that, the line became inoperational and used for model photoshooting etc. more or less legally until test run of freight trains resumed at the end of 2015 until end of January 2016. Following to the re-railing works at the northern part of Seoul Station, a need to re-route the freight trains through Gyooe lines occurred, and as the Yongsan Line became underground thus unusable for peacetime freight train service(incline of 34.5 permils) and Hyochang Line was abolished, the trains have to be rerouted through the Gyooe Line and thus test operation resumed on April 20, 2016, with its railroad crossings operational and staffed again. Regular freight train operation resumes on May 16, 2016 .

Future

• Goyang-Si, Yangju-si, Uijeongbu hope re-opening of Gyooe Line as circular railway line of Gyeonggi Province.^[3]
• As an extension of the future Daegok–Sosa–Wonsi Line, the Gyooe Line may be upgraded to a double-track, electrified railway, and see regular passenger service integrated into the Seoul Metropolitan Subway.
• The three cities and Korail decided to repair the Gyooe line, from Daegok Station to Uijeongbu Station until 2023. The railway condition will be unelectrified Single-track railway. The repaired Korail Commuter Diesel Car will be used.^[4]

See also

• Transportation in South Korea

References

1. "철마 110년, 영고의 자취 [12] 경제개발과 철도" (in Korean). Silvernet News. 2010-03-20. Retrieved 2010-11-30.
2. "경영원칙 > 경영공시 > 영업현황 > 영업거리현황". Korail. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
3. Sangjun, Kang (December 29, 2020). "16년만에 교외선 재개통 '의기투합'…道-고양-의정부-양주 업무협약 체결" [Province-Goyang-Uijeongbu-Yangju signed MOU for re-open of Gyooe Line]. Jungang Sinmun (in Korean). Suwon. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
4. Sungoh, Lee (October 26, 2021). "교외선, 실시설계 본격 착수‥ 2024년 운행 재개 '탄력'" [Gyooe Line's design development has been undertaken... planning to re-open in 2024]. Goyang Sinmun (in Korean). Goyang. Retrieved November 25, 2021.