The Pyeongbuk Railway (Japanese: 平北鐵道株式會社, Heihoku Tetsudō Kabushiki Kaisha; Korean: 평북철도주식회사, Pyeongbuk Cheoldo Jusikhoesa) was a privately owned railway company in Japanese-occupied Korea.
History The Pyeongbuk Railway opened its mainline, from Jeongju on the Chosen Government Railway's Gyeongseong—Sinuiju Gyeongui Line to Cheongsu on 27 September 1939 as an industrial railway to serve the Supung Hydroelectric Power Plant on the Yalu River, opening the Supung Line branch from Pupung on the mainline to the dam at the same time.朝鮮總督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa Nr. 3813, 3 October 1939 At Cheongsu a bridge was built across the Yalu River to connect with the Fengshang Railway at Shanghekou, Manchukuo, and on 30 September 1940, the Pyeongbuk Railway opened the Supung Hoan Line.朝鮮總督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa Nr. 4114, 7 October 1940
After the partition of Korea the line was within the territory of the DPRK, and was nationalised by the Provisional People's Committee for North Korea along with all other railways in the Soviet zone of occupation on 10 August 1946, becoming the P'yŏngbuk Line of the Korean State Railway.Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), p. 131
Services In the last timetable issued prior to the start of the Pacific War, the Pyeongbuk Railway had six daily passenger trains on the schedule, three round trips between Jeongju and Supung, and three between Cheongsu and Supung:Tōa Travel Co. (東亜旅行社), Ministry of Railways Combined Timetable 1 November 1942 (鐵道省編纂時刻表昭和17年11月1日)
+ Jeongju - Supung Distance(read down) PriceKorean yen 501 11 103 Station name Distance(read up) PriceKorean yen 502 12 106 0.0 - 06:40 11:00 16:35 Jeongju 116.2 4.70 12:52 18:28 22:13 41.2 1.70 08:46 12:32 18:28 Pyeongbuk Guseong 75.0 3.00 11:27 15:20 21:00 116.6 4.70 12:12 15:20 21:54 Supung 0.0 - 07:50 14:10 17:50
+ Supung - Cheongsu Distance(read down) PriceKorean yen 401 405 407 Station name Distance(read up) PriceKorean yen 402 406 408 0.0 - 06:30 11:54 16:10 Supung 9.3 0.40 08:46 14:00 18:06 9.3 0.40 06:55 12:27 16:35 Cheongsu 0.0 - 08:18 13:32 17:34
Rolling Stock
Four Class 4110 steam locomotives were sent from the Japanese Government Railway to the Pyeongbuk Railway after conversion to standard gauge.Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), p. 66
Network + 平北線 - 평북선 - Heihoku Line - Pyeongbuk Line Distance Station name Total; km S2S; km Transcribed, Korean Transcribed, Japanese Hunminjeongeum Hanja/Kanji Connections 0.0 0.0 Jeongju Jōshū 정주 定州 Sentetsu Gyeongui Line 10.4 10.4 Koan Kōan 고안 高安 16.5 6.1 Bongmyeong Hōmei 봉명 鳳鳴 28.4 11.9 Banghyeon Hōken 방현 方峴 41.2 12.8 Pyeongbuk Guseong Heihoku Kujō 평북구성 平北亀城 49.0 7.8 Baekun Hakuun 백운 白雲 63.9 14.9 Daean Daiain 대안 大安 70.5 6.6 Daegwan Daikan 대관 大館 78.2 7.7 Changpyeong Shōhei 창평 昌坪 91.2 13.0 Sakju Oncheon Sakushū Onsen 삭주온천 朔州温泉 100.0 8.8 Sakju Sakushū 삭주 朔州 105.9 5.9 Sin-an Shin'an 신안 新安 113.7 7.8 Bupung Fūhō 부풍 富豊 Supung Line,Supung Hoan Line 120.5 6.8 Cheongsu Shōsui 청수 青水 AmnokgangYalu River Ōryokkō 압록강 鴨綠江 Korea-Manchukuo border Shanghekou Shankōkō - 上河口 Fengshang Railway
+ 水豊線 - 수풍선 - Suihō Line - Supung Line Distance Station name Total; km S2S; km Transcribed, Korean Transcribed, Japanese Hunminjeongeum Hanja/Kanji Connections 0.0 0.0 Bupung Fūhō 부풍 富豊 Pyeongbuk Line,Supung Hoan Line 2.5 2.5 Supung Suihō 수풍 水豊
+ 水豊湖岸線 - 수풍호안선 - Suihō Kogan Line - Supung Hoan Line Distance Station name Total; km S2S; km Transcribed, Korean Transcribed, Japanese Hunminjeongeum Hanja/Kanji Connections 0.0 0.0 Bupung Fūhō 부풍 富豊 Pyeongbuk Line,Supung Line 2.5 2.5 Supung Hoan Suihō Kogan 수풍호안 水豊湖岸
References