The West Chōsen Central Railway (Japanese: 西鮮中央鉄道, Sōsen Chūō Tetsudō; Korean: 서선중앙철도, Seoseon Jung'ang Cheoldo), was a privately owned railway company in Japanese-occupied Korea.

History The West Chōsen Central Railway opened its lines from Seunghori to Jangsang in several staged between 1939 and 1945. The first section, from Seunghori to Seongneum, was opened on 29 June 1939,朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 3736, 5 July 1939 (in Japanese) followed five months later by an extension to Pyeongnam Gangdong.朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 3851, 20 November 1939 (in Japanese)

On 1 October 1941 a second line was opened, isolated from the first, made up of a mainline running from Sinseongcheon to Bukchang with a branchline, the Jaedong Line, from Gujeong to Jaedong.朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 4410, 4 October 1941 (in Japanese) The two sections of mainline remained isolated from each other until 18 September 1942, when the gap between Pyeongnam Gangdong and Sinseongcheon, a distance of was closed.朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 4699, 25 September 1942 (in Japanese) The newly built line did not long remain part of the West Chōsen railway, as on 1 April 1944 the line from Seunghori as far as Sinseongcheon was nationalised by the Chosen Government Railway (Sentetsu) and incorporated into the Pyeongyang Colliery Line.朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 5143, 29 March 1944 (in Japanese)

The West Chōsen Central Railway nevertheless continued expanding its truncated mainline, called the Seoseon Line, receiving approval from the Railway Bureau on 21 June 1940 to extend its line to Deokcheon and thence onwards to the Jangsang coal fields,朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 4021, 18 June 1940 (in Japanese) in order to transport coal from the mines in the area opened in 1938 by the Chosen Anthracite Company.- 植民地朝鮮における石炭産業 - 大阪経済大学 The first of these extensions was a stretch from Bukchang to Okcheon opened on 28 December 1944,朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 5376, 10 January 1945 (in Japanese) which was followed by a second extension, to Jangan, opened on 25 May 1945,朝鮮総督府官報 (The Public Journal of the Governor-General of Korea), Shōwa No. 5500, 6 June 1945 (in Japanese) reaching Deokcheon a few months later.

The West Chōsen Central Railway planned its Deokbal Line (덕발선, 徳八線) line to run from Deokcheon to Gujang via Jangsangri, to connect there with Sentetsu's Manpo Line. However, the terrain proved too difficult, and, after adding a signal station at Hyangjang between Hyangwon and Jangsangni, construction on the current alignment of the line to Gujang began. However, this wasn't completed before war's end; it was only after the end of the Korean War that the connection to Gujang and the Manpo Line was finally made.

After the end of the Pacific War and subsequent 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 part of the Korean State Railway. The line is now part of the P'yŏngdŏk Line, with the Hyangjang–Jangsang section now forming the Changsang Line.Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō),

Line Section Opened Notes Seoseon Line Seunghori–Seongneum 29 June 1939 to Sentetsu 1 April 1944 Seoseon Line Seongneum–Pyeongnam Gangdong November 1939 to Sentetsu 1 April 1944 Seoseon Line Sinseongcheon–Bukchang 1 October 1941 Jaedong Line Gujeong–Jaedong 1 October 1941 Seoseon Line Pyeongnam Gangdong–Sinseongcheon 18 September 1942 to Sentetsu 1 April 1944 Seoseon Line Bukchang–Okcheon 28 December 1944 Seoseon Line Okcheon–Jangan 25 May 1945 Seoseon Line Jangan–Deokcheon 1945 Deokbal Line Deokcheon–Jangsangri 1945

Operations In addition to trains on its own lines, the West Chōsen Central Railway also operated a train in conjunction with the Chōsen Pyeongan Railway, from Deokcheon to Yonggang Oncheon, terminus of the latter's Oncheon Line.Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), p. 86

Rolling stock

As traffic volumes increased significantly through the Pacific War, the West Chōsen Central Railway found itself needing more power. As a result, eight Mikasa (ミカサ) class 2-8-2 steam locomotives were bought in 1943 and 1944.

Running Number Builder Year Works Number 201 Hitachi 1943 1457 202 Hitachi 1943 1458 203 Kisha Seizō 1944 2227 204 Kisha Seizō 1944 2228 205 Kisha Seizō 1944 2229 206 Kisha Seizō 1944 2230 207 Nippon Sharyō 1944 1213 208 Nippon Sharyō 1944 1214

More were needed, but as the capacity of locomotive builders in Japan and Korea was already being stretched, Mikaro (ミカロ) class locomotives were borrowed from the South Manchuria Railway (Mantetsu) to alleviate the power shortage. Of these, the identities of two are known for certain - ミカロ18 and ミカロ22.

Network

+ 西鮮線 - 서선선 - Sōsen Line - Seoseon Line Distance Station name Total; km S2S; km Transcribed, Korean Transcribed, Japanese Hunminjeongeum Hanja/Kanji Opening date Connections Notes 0.0 0.0 Seunghori Shōkori 승호리 勝湖里 19 June 1939 Sentetsu Pyeongyang Colliery Line to Sentetsu 1 April 1944 4.2 4.2 Mandalli Bantachiri 만달리 晩達里 19 June 1939 to Sentetsu 1 April 1944 8.0 3.8 Hwacheon Kasen 화천 貨泉 19 June 1939 to Sentetsu 1 April 1944 12.7 4.7 Geumok Kingyoku 금옥 金玉 19 June 1939 to Sentetsu 1 April 1944 15.9 3.2 Songga Shōgai 송가 松街 19 June 1939 to Sentetsu 1 April 1944 22.3 6.4 Samdeung Santō 삼등 三登 19 June 1939 to Sentetsu 1 April 1944 25.7 3.4 Heungnyeong Kokuryō 흑령 黒嶺 19 June 1939 to Sentetsu 1 April 1944 29.6 3.9 Seongneum Sekirin 석름 石凜 19 June 1939 to Sentetsu 1 April 1944 38.1 8.5 Pyeongnam Gangdong Heinan Kōtō 평남강동 平南江東 November 1939 to Sentetsu 1 April 1944 46.1 8.0 Baekwon Hakugen 백원 百源 18 September 1942 to Sentetsu 1 April 1944 46.1 8.0 Baekwon Hakugen 백원 百源 18 September 1942 to Sentetsu 1 April 1944 52.3 6.2 Sundeok Juntoku 순덕 順徳 18 September 1942 to Sentetsu 1 April 1944 55.4 2.1 Pyeongnam Seongcheon Heinan Seisen 평남성천 平南成川 18 September 1942 to Sentetsu 1 April 1944 62.4 7.0 Samdeok Santoku 삼덕 三徳 18 September 1942 to Sentetsu 1 April 1944 68.60.0 6.20.0 Sinseongcheon Shinseisen 신성천 新成川 1 October 1941 Sentetsu Gyeongwon Line 7.4 7.4 Pungpyeong Hōhei 풍평 豊坪 1 October 1941 13.1 5.7 Wonchang Ensō 원창 院倉 1 October 1941 16.7 3.6 Gujeong Kushō 구정 九井 1 October 1941 Jaedong Line 23.7 7.0 Songnam Shōnan 송남 松南 1 October 1941 27.7 4.0 Gachang Kasō 가창 假倉 1 October 1941 36.1 8.4 Bukchang Hokusō 북창 北倉 1 October 1941 39.6 3.5 Okcheon Gyokusen 옥천 玉泉 28 December 1944 42.4 2.4 Guhyeon Kyūken 구현 鳩峴 15 May 1945 45.8 3.4 Hoean Kaian 회안 桧安 15 May 1945 51.2 5.4 Jangan Chōan 장안 長安 15 May 1945 55.2 4.0 Jenam Sainan 제남 済南 1945 60.9 5.7 Deokcheon Tokusen 덕천 徳川 1945 Deokbal Line

+ 徳八線 - 덕발선 - Tokuhatsu Line - Deokbal Line Distance Station name Total; km S2S; km Transcribed, Korean Transcribed, Japanese Hunminjeongeum Hanja/Kanji Opening date Connections Notes 0.0 0.0 Deokcheon Tokusen 덕천 徳川 1945 Seoseon Line 4.7 4.7 Hyangwon Kyōgen 향원 郷元 1945 10.4 5.7 Hyangjang Kyōchō 향장 郷長 1945 12.3 1.9 Jangsangni Chōshanri 장상리 長上里 1945

+ 梓洞線 - 재동선 - Shidō Line - Jaedong Line Distance Station name Total; km S2S; km Transcribed, Korean Transcribed, Japanese Hunminjeongeum Hanja/Kanji Opening date Connections Notes 0.0 0.0 Gujeong Kushō 구정 九井 1 October 1941 Seoseon Line 4.4 4.4 Jaedong Shidō 재동 梓洞 1 October 1941

References