Hambuk Line

Hambuk Line
View of the Hambuk Line near Kanp'yŏng
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Ch'ŏngjin–Hoeryŏng: Sentetsu (1916–1933) Hoeryŏng–Tonggwan: Domun Railway (1920–1929) Hoeryŏng–Tonggwan: Sentetsu (1929–1933) Tonggwan–Unggi: Sentetsu (1929–1933) Ch'ŏngjin–Unggi: Mantetsu (1933–1940) Ch'ŏngjin–Sangsambong: Sentetsu (1940–1945) Sangsambong–Unggi: Mantetsu (1940–1945) Unggi–Rajin: Mantetsu (1935–1945) Ch'ŏngjin–Rajin: Korean State Railway (since 1945)
Locale	North Hamgyŏng Rasŏn
Termini	Ch'ŏngjin Ch'ŏngnyŏn Rajin
Stations	51
Service
Type	Heavy rail, Regional rail
Depot(s)	Hoeryŏng, Sambong
History
Opened	Stages between 1916–1935
Technical
Line length	325.1 km (202.0 mi)
Number of tracks	Double track (Susŏng - Komusan) Single track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge partly with 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) (Dual Gauge, Hongŭi-Rajin)
Electrification	3000 V DC Overhead lines
Route map Legend Some stations omitted for clarity Ch'ŏngjinhang Ch'ŏngjinhang Line P'yŏngra Line Ch'ŏngjin Rly Eqpt Factory -3.1 Ch'ŏngjin Ch'ŏngnyŏn Ch'ŏngjin Choch'ajang 0.0 Panjuk Green: Kangdŏk Line Kŭndong Blue: P'yŏngra Line 4.7 Susŏng 10.3 Sŏngmak 18.1 Changhŭng 24.1 Hyŏngje Puryŏng Ferroalloy Factory 32.6 Puryŏng 38.9 Komusan Komusan Cement Factory Sŏsang Musan Line 44.7 Sŏkpong 51.4 Ch'angp'yŏng 58.7 Chŏn'gŏri former mine Hoeryŏng Colliery Line 89.5 Hoeryŏng Ch'ŏngnyŏn 93.5 Sinhoeryŏng Closed 96.3 Kŭmsaeng Kŭngsim-dong Closed Sech'ŏn Line Chaokai Line ←DPRK-China→ Closed 129.9 Sambong 136.2 Hasambong Closed 1933 142.1 Chongsŏng Tongp'o Line Songp'yŏng Line 150.3 Kangalli 0.8 Gukkyŏng Namyanggukkyŏng Line 169.0 0.0 Namyang Car shops 180.4 Unsŏng mines 208.2 Hunyung East Manchuria Ry (Closed) 237.4 Sin'gŏn Kogŏnwŏn Line Ch'undu Ch'undu Line 255.0 Songhak Hoeam Line 285.6 0.0 Hongŭi 1.0 Chŏkchi Hongŭi Line 9.5 Tumangang 286.6 Mulgol ←DPRK~Russia→ East Sea Taejin Port 300.7 Ungsang 313.0 Sŏnbong Sŭngri Line 3.0 Namrajin Closed Namrajin Branch Closed 328.2 0.0 Rajin Rajinhang Line P'yŏngra Line This diagram: view talk edit

The Hambuk Line is an electrified standard-gauge trunk line of the Korean State Railway in North Korea, running from Ch'ŏngjin on the P'yŏngra Line to Rajin, likewise on the P'yŏngra line.^[1]

The Hambuk line connects to the Hongŭi Line at Hongŭi, which is North Korea's only rail connection to Russia, and at Namyang to the Namyang Border Line, which leads to Tumen, China, via the bridge over the Tumen River.^[1]

Although located entirely inside North Hamgyŏng Province, this line is one of the DPRK's main trunk railways. The line's total length is 325.1 km (202.0 mi); in terms of length, it is the second-longest rail line in the country after the P'yŏngra Line, accounting for 7.7% of the national total of railway lines.^[2]

Over ten rail lines - secondary mainlines and branchlines - connect to the Hambuk Line, including the Musan Line, the Hoeryŏng Colliery Line, the Kogŏnwŏn Line, the Hoeam Line, and the Hongŭi Line, along with numerous branchlines. The Hambuk Line connects three cities and four counties - Ch'ŏngjin City, Puryŏng County, Hoeryŏng City, Onsŏng County, Kyŏngwŏn County, Kyŏnghŭng County, and the Rason Special City.

In terms of regional characteristics, the Hambuk Line passes through two largely distinct areas. It runs inland in mountainous terrain between Panjuk to Hoeryŏng, then along the Tumen River and the northern border of the country all the way to Rajin. The steepest part of the line is between Puryŏng and Ch'angp'yŏng, where the ruling gradient is over 20‰. Conversely, the route on the Tumen River's bank along the national border is comparatively flat.

There is double track from Susŏng, where the line connects to the Kangdŏk line, to Komusan, where the Musan line begins; the dual-gauge section (standard and Russian gauges) from Hongŭi to Rajin is also double-tracked.

There are service facilities for locomotives in Hoeryŏng and Sambong and for rolling stock in Namyang.^[2]