Gyeongbu Line

The Gyeongbu Line (Gyeongbuseon) is the most important railway line in South Korea and one of the oldest. Constructed in 1905, connecting Seoul to Suwon, Daejeon, Daegu, and Busan. The Gyeongbu Line is by far the most heavily travelled rail line in South Korea. High-speed, express, local, and freight trains provide frequent service along its entire length.

History

The Gyeongbu Line was originally constructed as a vehicle of colonialism. In 1894-1895, Imperial Japan and Qing Dynasty China fought the First Sino-Japanese War for influence over Korea. Following the war, in competition with Russia's rail expansion across China, Japan sought the right from the Korean Empire to build a railway from Busan to Seoul, the Gyeonbu Line. Surveying began in 1896, and in spite of local protests, the Korean Empire gave Japan the right to build the line in 1898. Construction of the Gyeongbu Line started on August 20, 1901, with a ceremony at Yeongdeungpo, Seoul. Construction was done by locals commanded to do forced labour, and paid with coupons.

Gyeongbu High Speed Railway

The Gyeongbu High Speed Railway (Gyeongbu HSR) between Seoul and Busan is South Korea's first high-speed rail line. KTX high-speed trains operate three sections of the line: on April 1, 2004, the first between a junction near Geumcheon-gu Office Station, Seoul and a junction at Daejeonjochajang Station north of Daejeon, and a second between a junction at Okcheon Station, southeast of Daejeon, and a junction near Jicheon Station, north of Daegu entered service; then on November 1, 2010, the third section, between a junction west of Daegu and Busan became operational. The missing gaps across the urban areas of Daejeon and Daegu are in construction for an expected opening in 2014, separate tracks into Seoul Station are planned. The temporary ends of the three sections are connected to the parallel conventional Gyeongbu Line by tracks that will serve as interconnector branches upon the completion of the entire line.

As of November 2010, two train services use the line: the Gyeongbu KTX Line, with trains running along the Gyeongbu HSR or the parallel Gyeongbu Line only; and the Honam KTX Line, with trains leaving the Gyeongbu HSR at Daejeon and continuing on the conventional Honam Line. A number of other high-speed lines branching from the Gyeongbu HSR are in construction or planned, and several more KTX services using connecting conventional rail lines are also planned.