View Full Version : 2KoreaRailwatch:Halted!
jpatokal
23-03-07, 05:05 PM
The first segment of the Incheon International Airport Railroad (A'REX) has opened (http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2007/03/23/200703230070.asp), and they've opened an English-language site to celebrate:
http://www.arex.or.kr/jsp/eng/main.jsp
The project in a nutshell: Stage 1 is Incheon to Gimpo (domestic) airport, Stage 2 is Gimpo to city center (est. 2010). With the link, ICN-GMP takes 28 min on the fastest train (120 km/h), and the trip all the way to Seoul Station will take 45 min, with a city air terminal also planned. The link is oddly slow though: even before this, buses could cover the journey in 30 min, so time savings are minimal at the moment... but for perennially congested central Seoul this will be great when the rest opens three years down the line. Any wagers on if they manage it before BKK does?
Some more data on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incheon_International_Airport_Railroad
Two Koreas say trains to restart after half-century
[Photo: AFP - A North Korean train passes through to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) near Kosung. North and South Korea have agreed to start regular rail freight services across their heavily fortified border next month for the first time in more than half a century, it was announced Friday.][Mod: This is a really interesting picture, but unfortunately Bernama locks its pictures and uses non-specific article links. My advice to scroll down to page bottom to find the link and photo before it disappears.]
SEOUL (AFP) - North and South Korea have agreed to start regular rail freight services across their heavily fortified border next month for the first time in more than half a century, it was announced Friday.
The services will begin on December 11, a joint statement said on the final day of a rare meeting of prime ministers from the two sides.
In other reconciliation moves, the two nations agreed to start creating a joint fishing zone in the Yellow Sea in the first half of next year.
The aim is to prevent further clashes around the disputed sea border, the scene of bloody naval battles in 1999 and 2002.
Cross-border trains made test runs in May in what was hailed as a milestone for unification between two countries, which are still technically at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended only in an armistice.
But the North's military had been reluctant to give security guarantees for regular operations on the 20-kilometre (12-mile) section of track, which would service the Seoul-funded industrial estate at Kaesong just north of the border.
President Roh Moo-Hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il agreed at their historic summit in Pyongyang early last month to resume regular freight services.
This week's prime ministerial meeting, the first for 15 years, was tasked with implementing the sweeping summit declaration on promoting peace and co-prosperity.
"This accord will provide a major opportunity for South and North Korea to speed up exchanges and cooperation, and to advance peace and prosperity on the Korean peninsula," an upbeat Lee Jae-Joung, Seoul's unification minister, told reporters.
The issue of military security guarantees would be handled when defence ministers from the two sides meet late this month, he said.
Regular cross-border freight services would signal an opening-up by the hardline communist North, which is desperate to revive its crumbling economy.
The border remains one of the most heavily mined areas on earth, and extensive demining had to be undertaken before the railway test runs.
In another sign of opening up, the North has agreed to let South Korean businessmen use the Internet and cellphones when visiting Kaesong, Lee said.
Prime ministerial meetings will be held every six months in future.
Last month's summit agreed on reconciliation projects costing billions of dollars, including the establishment of the joint fishing area as part of a "peace zone".
A special economic zone around the North's southwestern port and naval base of Haeju would be part of the zone.
The two leaders also agreed to expand Kaesong, develop shipyards in the North, upgrade the North's decrepit roads and railways and expand tourist and cultural exchanges.
A committee grouping both sides will meet this year to discuss the fishing area, according to Friday's statement. The two sides will conduct a feasibility study on developing Haeju by year-end.
North and South agreed to begin repairing the highway between Pyongyang and Kaesong next year, along with work on a railway connecting Kaesong to Sinuiju on the Chinese border.
South Korea's government sees joint developments like Kaesong as a way to narrow the huge wealth gap in preparation for possible reunification.
Some 20,000 North Koreans earning about 60 dollars a month produce clothes, utensils, watches and other goods for South Korean firms.
"Both sides have to remove hostility and work together to create an economically equal relationship. Otherwise, unification will remain far away," President Roh told the North Korean premier in a meeting.
A Hyundai Research Institute study has estimated the cost to South Korea of all the summit projects at 11 billion dollars.
The Seoul government, which has less than four months still in office, says private businesses will pick up most of the investment tab.
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
November 22, 2007 12:12 PM
Two Koreas To Run Cross-border Freight Train Daily
SEOUL, Nov 22 (Bernama) -- The two Koreas agreed Thursday to run a daily freight train service across the border starting in mid December to facilitate transportation of raw materials and processed goods between the South Korea-invested industrial park in the North's border town of Kaesong and the South.
Starting the cross-border cargo rail service for the first time since 1951 was the key agreement reached at last week's talks between Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and his North Korean counterpart Kim Yong-il in Seoul, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.
The railway linkage agreement comes as South Korea, Russia and China have been discussing ambitious projects to connect the two Koreas' railway systems to the Trans-Siberian and Trans-China railways so products from South Korea, the world's 11th-biggest economy, can be transported to Europe more cheaply and quickly.
The Koreas "agreed to start a daily freight train service between (South Korea's) Munsan and (North Korea's) Bongdong on Dec. 11 and jointly hold an opening ceremony on Dec. 11," Unification Ministry spokesman Kim Nam-shik said in a press release.
Working-level officials held overnight talks in the North Korean border town in Kaesong to agree on the daily cargo rail service.
The 19.8-km route, which runs near to the joint industrial complex in Kaesong, is expected to cut the transportation cost for South Korean firms by nearly half, replacing hundreds of trucks used each day to move the raw materials to the South.
Kaesong's monthly output was worth US$18 million in October. South Korean factories in the complex produce garments, utensils and other labour-intensive products with cheap North Korean labour.
The railroad severed during the 1950-53 Korean War was reconnected in 2003 as a result of reconciliatory accords reached in the first-ever inter-Korean summit in 2000.
After repeated delays due to opposition from the North's military, a passenger train ran on the route along the west coast of the peninsula for the first time in May.
Another inter-Korean railway along the east coast was also briefly opened at that time.
At the second-ever inter-Korean summit in October, President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il agreed to start a cargo railway service to help boost economic cooperation.
In the overnight talks, the Koreas also agreed to conduct a field survey on Dec. 12-18 to prepare for the repair work of the Kaesong-Sinuiju railway.
The route is part of the Seoul-Sinuiju railway, which will be repaired next year to be used by a joint cheering squad for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and other inter-Korean projects.
Repairing dilapidated highways and railways were North Korea's key agenda in the prime ministerial talks, according to Chosun Sinbo, a pro-Pyongyang newspaper published by ethnic Koreans in Japan.
-- BERNAMA
Non-specific links:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
The final paragraph of this report seems a bit dubious. A "ten-carriage" freight train that can carry "up to 10,000 tonnes" on one trip. It sounds rather like rice-smuggling on the Thai-Malay rail border in times past!::eek:
December 10, 2007 13:42 PM
Koreas To Begin Regular Cargo Train Service Through Border
SEOUL, Dec 10 (Bernama) -- South and North Korea will launch a regular cargo train service through their heavily fortified border for the first time since the end of the Korean War, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported Monday quoting officials as saying.
The train service is one of the first major economic reconciliatory projects reached at a summit between South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in early October.
A group of South Korean officials, including Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung, will travel to the North's Panmun Station, just north of the inter-Korean border, Tuesday morning for a ceremony marking the launch of the rail service, a ministry official said.
"The first train will depart (South Korea's) Munsan Station at 7a.m. and arrive at Panmun Station around 8:30am after crossing the military demarcation line at 8am," the ministry said in a press release.
The trail will run daily on weekdays and return to South Korea everyday after making its run to the North Korean station, according to the ministry.
The original plan was to connect Munsan to the North's Bongdong, next to Kaesong where dozens of South Korean businesses are operating at a joint industrial complex.
"The trail will only run up to Panmun Station for now as Bongdong has yet to have loading-unloading facility," a ministry official, who declined to be identified said.
The train service will significantly reduce the cost of shipping goods and materials to and from the joint industrial complex at Kaesong, but the amount of cargo, currently run by overland routes, to and from the Kaesong complex stands at only some 12,000 tonnes a month, according to the ministry official.
"I cannot say the cargo train service makes sense economically right now, but the long-term plan is to allow free cargo and passenger access to North Korea and to expand the rail service to Pyongyang and eventually connect the railway to the Trans-China and Trans-Siberian railways," the official said.
The train to run between the divided Koreas, a 10-carriage train, can carry up to 10,000 tonnes of cargo on each run, according to officials at the Korea Railway Service. --BERNAMA
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
The final paragraph of this report seems a bit dubious. A "ten-carriage" freight train that can carry "up to 10,000 tonnes" on one trip. It sounds rather like rice-smuggling on the Thai-Malay rail border in times past!::eek:
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
First regular cargo train service between North and South Korea starts
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/news_images/20071211/_1.jpg
[Photo: The China Post - The first South Korean cargo train leaves for North Korea as South Koreans wave reunification flags at the Dorasan Station in Paju, South Korea, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2007. The first cargo train providing regular service across the border between the two Koreas in more than a half-century departed Tuesday to the North. The banner reads " Cargo train between Munsan and Bongdong". (AP Photo)]
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
AP
DORASAN STATION, South Korea -- The first cargo train providing regular service across the border between the two Koreas in more than a half-century left Tuesday for the North.
The 12-car train carrying construction materials will cross through the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone dividing the peninsula on its journey to the North Korean border city of Kaesong, where the two Koreas operate a joint industrial zone. It was to cross back later Tuesday.
The service is one of the tangible results of an October summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun that outlined a series of joint projects. It comes months after the two sides conducted a one-time test run of passenger trains on two reconnected tracks on the western and eastern sides of the peninsula.
The cargo train will make a 16.5-kilometer (10-mile) round trip every weekday to North Korea.
It remains unclear whether regular passenger train service will start anytime soon, but one of the train's engineers was hopeful Tuesday.
"I expect a day will come when South Koreans visit North Korean tourist attractions freely by train," Shin Jang-chul, whose parents are from what is now North Korea, told reporters before departing.
South Korea hopes the inter-Korean railway will ultimately be linked through North Korea to Russia's Trans-Siberian railroad and allow an overland route connecting the peninsula to Europe _ significantly cutting delivery times for freight that now requires sea transport.
"Though we start with a cargo train, it will lead to a passenger train service and will soon be linked to the continental trains" Lee Chul, president of Korea Railroad, told reporters. "The economic benefits are countless."
He said he also hoped South and North Koreans could travel together via rail to Beijing to cheer for next year's Olympics.
The cargo rail service is likely to give a further boost to the sprawling Kaesong complex, which marries South Korean technology and management expertise with North Korea's cheap labor.
Currently, 64 South Korean companies operate factories there, employing about 21,600 North Korean workers and producing a range of goods including watches, clothing and shoes.
South Korea hopes the Kaesong project will encourage isolated North Korea to reform its centrally controlled economy and eventually open up to the outside world.
The rail lines between the Koreas were severed shortly after the outbreak of the 1950 Korean War. The conflict ended in a 1953 cease-fire that has never been replaced by a peace treaty, leaving the sides technically at war.
Already, dozens of cars, trucks and buses regularly cross the border between the two Koreas via reconnected roads both to the Kaesong complex and also to a tourism resort at North Korea's Diamond Mountain.
The transport links between North and South were reconnected after the first-ever summit between leaders of the divided nation in 2000.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/news/2007/12/11/134513/First%2Dregular.htm
These two reports provide a lot more detail than the previous one. They also make it clear that North Korea has just concluded an agreement with Russia for cross-border raillinks that might allow South Korean rail freight to travel along the Trans-Siberian Railway in future. Links with the Chinese rail system may also be made thus possible:
Inter-Korean train service opens
SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 11
LEE JONG-HEON
UPI Correspondent
For the first time in more than five decades, North and South Korea began a regular train service across their heavily fortified border on Tuesday, marking their latest reconciliation project.
South Korean officials expect the daily freight train service across the border to expand economic cooperation with the communist neighbor and eventually pave the way for a rail link with the Asian and European continents.
A 12-car train carrying construction materials crossed the demilitarized zone to reach the North's border station of Panmun, close to the inter-Korean joint industrial complex in Kaesong, where dozens of South Korean firms employ some 20,000 North Korean workers to manufacture light industrial goods.
After loading goods produced at the Kaesong complex, the train returned to the South's border station of Doransan, 50 kilometers away from Seoul. The cargo train will make a 16.5-kilometer round trip every weekday between the two border stations, transporting raw materials and finished products.
Before the opening of the train service, hundreds of trucks have served to move raw materials to Kaesong and transport finished products back to the South.
South Korean officials described the cross-border train service as a "blood vessel" between the two Koreas. Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung said the train service means "reconnecting the severed bloodline of the peninsula."
"The inter-Korean railway is a key infrastructure that will back up economic cooperation between the Koreas that is expanding and developing on a daily basis," he said in a congratulatory speech.
The normal train traffic comes seven years after the two Koreas agreed to reconnect the cross-border railway that was severed just after the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War. Work was already completed on laying track to reconnect the railways on the east and west coasts, but trial runs of trains were long delayed due to a lack of military guarantees.
The North's military had been reluctant to agree on security guarantees for using the cross-border railway, apparently due to concerns that it would expose sensitive and secret installations near the border. Trains made just one-off test runs across the border in May after the North's military agreed to provide guarantees for the safe passage of cross-border trains.
South Korea has provided 180.9 billion won (US$195.8 million) worth of materials to the North to help restore its railways, while spending 545.4 billion won for restoring its own tracks. The South has provided additional 5 billion won worth of aid to construct border railway stations in the North.
On the eve of the beginning of the regular train service, the South opened a logistics center at the Dorasan station at a cost of 84 billion won, features 22 buildings and warehouses, including ones intended for the inspection and repair of train cars.
Analysts say the cargo rail service would give a further boost to the Kaesong complex. "The train service is expected to significantly reduce shipping costs for South Korean businesses operating at the Kaesong industrial complex," the government-run Korea Transport Institute said in a report.
The industrial park, a testing ground for mixing South Korean capitalism and technology with the North's cheap labor, has been touted as one of the crowning fruits of inter-Korean dialogue.
South Korean officials vowed to open a passenger train service across the border in the near future. "Though we start with a cargo train, it will lead to a passenger train service," said Lee Churl, the chief executive of the Korea Railroad Corp.
Lee also said South and North Koreans could travel together via the rail to reach Beijing to cheer for next year's Olympics.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, while meeting with his South Korean counterpart Han Duck-soo on Monday, voiced China's support for a plan by the two Koreas to send a joint cheering squad for the Olympic Games overland via the North Korean and Chinese rail systems, according to Han's office.
If fully linked, the cross-border railway will reconnect the two Korean capitals and proceed on to Sinuiju, a major industrial city on North Korea's border with China. It will link up to China, Mongolia and eventually Russia's trans-Siberian railway, through which South Korea could deliver products to Europe, the second-biggest market for Seoul.
Last month, North Korea and Russia concluded an agreement on cross-border railways linking Rajin in North Korea to Khasan in Russia, which could pave the way for the South Korean rail to link to trans-Siberian railway.
"The joint industrial park connected by cross-border train service will also help South Korea accomplish its ambitious plan to transform itself into a logistics and business hub of the Asia-Pacific region," said Lee Hyung-keun, an economist at Seoul's government-run Korea Institute for International Economic Policy.
http://www.upiasiaonline.com/Security/2007/12/11/inter-korean_train_service_opens/9295/
..........
North Korea currently relies on railways for 80 per cent of its freight transportation, it said.
The Roh Moo-hyun government sees the first regular train service to be a starting opportunity to link the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Trans-China Railway with the Korean peninsula.
"I believe that this is a small start for the vision in the future ahead for the trans-peninsula railways linked with the TCR and the TSR. While the beginning may be meager, the end result will be tremendous," Lee Jae-joung told reporters on Monday.
To extend the cross-border train operation, the two Koreas have agreed at the summit and premier-level talks to refurbish North Korea's outdated railroad between Gaeseong and Shinuiju.
Working-level talks on the renovation work will open in Gaeseong on Jan 22.
http://www.asianewsnet.net/news.php?aid=13916
Yappofloyd
21-12-07, 02:32 PM
I was in Seoul for a week in mid Nov and took the opportunity to visit the DMZ with a tour which included a quick 5 min stop at Dorasan station. I've finally found some time to post some pics. Unfortunately, the weather was cold and misty so some of the outside pics are not so good.
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0655.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0656.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0654.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0659.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0660.jpg
The above mentioned TransAsian link is displayed on a map inside the station.
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0661.jpg
Scale model of the station. North Korea to the right.
Yappofloyd
21-12-07, 02:42 PM
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0666.jpg
The station is in the DMZ just south of the line of control.
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0663.jpg
Platform 1 looking towards North Korean direction. No heavy traffic as yet of course!
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0662.jpg
Platform 1 looking towards South Korean direction.
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0658.jpg
There are a few scheduled services a day between Seoul and stations just before the DMZ.
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0657.jpg
jpatokal
21-12-07, 09:34 PM
Great pics, thanks! Here's hoping we get to see actual scheduled services "to Pyeongyang" some day not too far away...
See also Yappofloyd's interesting photos of the railway border in yesterday's previous post in this thread:
2007-12-22 14:30:03
Koreas agree to expand cross-border train service to passenger transportation next year
North and South Korea agreed to expand a cross-border cargo rail service to passenger transportation next year, the Unification Ministry said Saturday.
The two sides began the regular train service across their heavily armed border for the first time in more than a half century early this month. But the service is limited only to freight transportation to and from a joint venture factory park in the North Korean border city of Kaesong.
The rail's opening was part of measures to improve the industrial complex, a key symbol of reconciliation between the two Koreas that are still technically at war because their 1950-53 Korean War ended in a cease-fire, not a peace treaty.
Economic officials from the two sides met in Kaesong on Thursday and Friday to discuss further boosting the industrial zone, and agreed on expanding the rail service and other measures, such as simplifying customs and border-crossing procedures, the ministry said in a statement.
South Korean workers, who commute to the Kaesong complex, can take the train to work, it said.
The two sides have yet to work out details, including when to start the passenger service.
The opening of the train service was one of the tangible results of an October summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun that outlined a series of joint projects. That summit was only the second-ever such meeting between the two Koreas, following the first one in 2000.
Link may expire:
http://www.axilltv.com/bkpost-2.php?newsid=222137
2 Koreas agree to cut back empty cross-border cargo trains
Thursday, January 31, 2008
AP
SEOUL, South Korea -- South and North Korea have agreed to maintain weekday cargo rail service across their heavily armed border but cut back empty train cars, the South's Unification Ministry said.
The two sides launched the cargo rail service in December - the first trains running regularly across the border in more than half a century - to a joint industrial complex in the North Korean city of Kaesong.
But the North has since proposed cutting the number of trains running across the border, citing a lack of freight to transport. The 12-car regular train has run empty many times because South Korean companies operating factories in the industrial zone are reluctant to use the service because road transport is more convenient and costs less.
Nevertheless, the South sees the cargo rail service as an important symbol and holds out hopes it could lead to trains eventually traveling through the North to destinations beyond - ending South Korea's status as a virtual island, its sole land border the heavily guarded frontier with North Korea.
The two Koreas agreed during two days of talks to run the cargo train every day but only for train cars loaded with cargo starting Friday, the ministry said in a statement late Wednesday.
The opening of the cross-border service was one of the tangible accomplishments of an October meeting between the leaders of two Koreas - the second-ever summit between the two sides.
In December, the two sides also agreed in principle to open passenger rail service to ferry South Korean workers to and from the sprawling complex. North Korean workers will be allowed to use the train service within their country to commute to work.
Details have yet to be worked out, and it is unclear when the service can start.
The two Koreas fought the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, leaving the divided peninsula still technically at war. But their relations warmed after their first summit of leaders in 2000, and improved further during their second summit.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/news/2008/01/31/141407/2%2DKoreas.htm
Russia, DPRK agree to restore cross-border railway
16/03/2008 -- 10:04 PM
Ha Noi (VNA) – Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) have agreed to restore a cross-border railway linking Khasan city in Russia’s Far East and DPRK’s northern port city of Rajin.
A group of Russian experts arrived in the DPRK on March 11 to discuss the restoration of the 55-km Khasan-Rajin railway.
Due to different rail gauges, the two countries will have to reconstruct rails and upgrade signal systems.
The Russian Railways Company planned to invest about 1 billion USD to modernise the 55-km railway and build a cargo station in Rajin, foreign news said.-Enditem
http://www.vnanet.vn/Home/EN/tabid/119/itemid/240556/Default.aspx
I was in Seoul for a week in mid Nov and took the opportunity to visit the DMZ with a tour which included a quick 5 min stop at Dorasan station. I've finally found some time to post some pics. Unfortunately, the weather was cold and misty so some of the outside pics are not so good.
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0655.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0656.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0654.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0659.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0660.jpg
The above mentioned TransAsian link is displayed on a map inside the station.
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg75/yappofloyd/SANY0661.jpg
Scale model of the station. North Korea to the right.
See also the following post, which also contains several pictures:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=18846&postcount=8
Experience the divide
By Kim Kyu-heong
The Korea Herald
Spend some time at Dorasan Station, the last stop before North Korea on the Gyeongui train line, and the state of tourism at the demilitarised zone becomes clear. Hordes of children pile in, snap pictures and depart as quickly as they arrive. The twice-daily choo-choo that rolls into the station evacuates its tourists, who get into buses and head off on their whirlwind tour.
Due to its location beyond the civilian passage restriction line, the number of tourists that can come to this station - which was a multi-million dollar project during the Kim Dae-jung administration - is limited to the approximately 500 individuals who are fortunate enough to book a train seat, and groups of over 30 with special permission.
"This is such a great train station, and, as the station manager, it breaks my heart to know that our citizens can't freely visit it," said Kim Kyung-seop.
He points to the rust accumulating on the tracks which are just six years old. Of the three sets of tracks, only one - which is used to ferry tourists from nearby Imjingang Station and to make a daily freight run to Gaeseong in the North - is being used now. In much the same way, DMZ sights all along the border are tourism gems just waiting to be exploited, but there are the security restrictions due to the technically ongoing state of war between the Koreas. Despite the setbacks, however, DMZ tourism is just starting to become more accessible to the public, especially in Gyeonggi Province.
Of all the DMZ destinations within this zone - a somewhat arbitrarily fenced area that separates the southern DMZ border and the regular civilian zone - the area surrounding Dorasan Station is the highlight. For most tourists who come to here via train, buses run a loop between the station, Dora Observatory and the Third Tunnel, which was discovered by the South in 1978.
The tunnel is an unforgettable experience. The first descent to the end of it, some 73 metres underground, can either be a refreshingly cool strut down a ramp or a trolley ride, depending on how much you pay.
Of the 1.6km of tunnel dug by the North Koreans, just 265 metres is open to the public, and, although there is nothing physically spectacular about the place, the thought that 10,000 soldiers could have stormed through it into the South within an hour is chilling. Beware of the short ceiling.
The tunnel may get you as physically close to the demilitarized zone and our northern neighbours as possible, but the best way to catch a glimpse of the North is at one of the eight observatories in South Korea. Though the Dora Observatory in Paju is easily accessible from both the tunnel and Dorasan Station, for a more intimate encounter, the Yeolsoe Observatory in Yeoncheon County is the best bet.
This site, which draws its name from the nickname of the 5th infantry division that keeps watch over this part of the border, is about two hours north of Seoul. One of the unique programmes offered here, made possible by its location in a relatively relaxed area of the DMZ, is the walking tour along the fence. Tours to the observatory depart from Seoul and include a briefing about the DMZ and the surrounding areas, which gives tourists an idea of life in the region before, during and after the Korean War. On a clear day, visitors can look out at the Yeoncheon plain, which is so fertile and wide that it was said to have produced enough rice to feed 100,000 people yearly. On the opposite end, you may see White Horse Mountain, where thousands of Korean, Chinese and UN soldiers were killed during an October 1952 bloodbath.
The highlight of the tour is a short, eerie 1 kilometre walk along the fence that separates the South from no man's land. Visitors are encouraged to write their thoughts on a ribbon, and tie it to the fence. This is part of the efforts to encourage DMZ tourists to focus on the future and peace.
"We want to get the word out that this is no longer the demilitarised zone, but rather the Peace Life Zone," said Yeoncheon county mayor Kim Kyu-bae. "This is a place where the natural environment, ecology and history coexist."
The greatest obstacle has been the lack of easy accessibility to the areas closest to the DMZ, with its very restrictive entry procedures. If you don't want to devote a full day to visiting the DMZ, or go through the hassle of checkpoints, a simple half-day trip to the Imjingak Tourism Area is well worth it.
Centered around Imjingang Station, the civilian terminus of the Gyeongui line, the area has been developed in recent areas with mass tourism in mind. The Pyeonghwa Nuri, a park and amphitheater for occasional performances, is the centerpiece of the area, and is perfect for picnics. For those who care about history, you'll want to hike to the Freedom Bridge, which was hastily constructed in 1953 as location for the secret exchange of POWs after the Korean War.
Though such exchanges are a thing of the past, and the bridge has been rebuilt several times, the original decaying foundations of Freedom Bridge can still be seen. It also serves as a symbolic border to the North for many, who leaves prayers and memorabilia at its end - expressing the hope of seeing loved ones and a united Korea someday.
Tours to Paju's Civilian Restriction Zone can be arranged through the DMZ Tour Office at (031)954-4744. For more information about walking the fence at Yeolsoe Observatory, visit dmztourkorea.com or call (02)706-4851. Reservations are required for both tours and participants must carry their passport or identification card. Trains to Imjingang Station depart several times daily from Seoul Station, and three trains continue on to Dorasan Station, which requires a reservation. For train times, visit korail.com
http://www.asianewsnet.net/visitasia.php?aid=17276
jpatokal
04-07-08, 01:37 PM
International Rail Journal has a good story on what's happening in Korea:
http://www.railjournal.com/altfeature1.shtml
That URL looks like it's going to disappear any day, so here's an archive for posterity:
Korea’s railways face a bright future
Korail, Korea’s national train operator, has achieved a remarkable turnaround in its financial performance, while Korea Rail Network Authority is pushing ahead with a huge investment programme to expand the rail network, as David Briginshaw reports from Seoul.
LAST year Korail became a profitable organisation for the first time since the separation of train operation from infrastructure in 2004. Korail has transformed a deficit of Won 526 billion ($US 514 million) in 2006 into a profit of Won 133.3 billion, and this was achieved five years ahead of schedule.
There are three main reasons for this considerable achievement. Revenue increased by Won 140 billion, thanks mainly to the continuing success of KTX, Korea’s high-speed rail service linking Seoul with Busan and Mokpo. Korail managed to achieve what Mr Choi Han-Joo, Korail’s senior executive director, describes as “a real reduction in costs.” Staff costs, for example, were reduced by between Won 150 billion and 160 billion. The most important contributors to Korail’s financial turnaround were the proceeds from the development of stations and the sale of land around Yongsan station in Seoul.
But, as Choi points out, the improvement in Korail’s performance was all the more remarkable because the amount it had to pay in infrastructure charges went up considerably last year, from Won 510 billion in 2006 to Won 660 billion.
Choi is confident that the 2007 result was not just a flash in the pan. “In 2006, the government and Korail set out a plan to improve the performance of the railway,” he says. On the cost reduction side, Korail will reduce the workforce from 30,000 today to 25,000 by 2011. It also plans to close unprofitable passenger stations and freight terminals, and to automate many other stations by installing ticket machines. “A further Won 9 trillion will come from station development and selling land between 2007 and 2015,” says Choi. Korail plans to set up a property construction company to help it achieve this goal.
KTX continues to go from strength to strength. On April 3 last year, the third anniversary of the launch of the service between Seoul and Busan, KTX carried its 100 millionth passenger. Last year, KTX averaged 100,000 passengers/day, but in May this year it reached a record of 160,000 passengers/day.
To cope with the continuing growth in traffic, Korail will take delivery next year of the first six of 19 10-car KTX II trains from Hyundai Rotem. KTX II is the first all-Korean high-speed train and will replace the 18-car KTX trains on the services from Seoul to Gwangju and Mokpo. KTX II will also be used to launch a new service from Seoul to Suncheon and Yeosu where electrification and upgrading is nearing completion.
According to Mr Ahn Nag-Kyoun, executive director of Korea Rail Network Authority’s (KR) Railway Facilities Division, construction of the final section of the Seoul - Busan line from Daegu via Gyeongju to Busan is 65% complete and will open at the end of 2010. This will cut the Seoul - Busan journey time by about 30 minutes to 2h 10min, which should help to boost traffic even more.
Construction should start next year of the Honan high-speed line from Jochiwon via Iksan and Gwangju to Mokpo. “The Mokpo line should be ready by 2014, a year earlier than originally planned,” says Ahn. Mokpo will then be around 2 hours from Seoul instead of 3h 15min today. KR plans to invest Won 63 trillion up to 2020 to upgrade and expand the Korean rail network. This means bringing key sections up to modern standards by realigning some sections, track doubling, and electrification. The Iksan - Suncheon - Yeosu line is being upgraded to allow the maximum speed to be increased from 120 to 180km/h. Yeosu will host an international Expo in 2012, so it is vital to have a commercial train service to Seoul in operation by then - the 444km trip currently takes about 5h 10min by the fastest trains.
The Samnangjin - Jinju line is also being upgraded (track doubling and electrification) to allow KTX to be introduced on the line in 2012 running at a maximum speed of 180km/h. KR plans to extend the electrification west from Jinju to Suncheon by 2014.
A number of new conventional lines are to be built either to plug gaps in the network or to prepare for the full opening of the inter-Korean border. The rail link on the east coast between North Korea and the South Korean town of Jeojin reopened in May last year, but the line from Jeojin to the south of Sokcho was closed during the Korean War and then dismantled. So thought is now being given to building a new line from Jeojin via Sokcho to Gangneung to link up with the existing railway, and another new line from there to Wonju. However, as Ahn points out: “this is a political project, and there is no decision to proceed yet.”
Work has started on another section of new line along the east coast from Samcheok to Pohang. This single-track line will be used mainly for freight traffic. Further south, a new port has been built to relieve congestion at Busan’s existing port, so KR is building a new rail link which it hopes to complete next year.
Korea is constructing a new capital city at Sejong, but the city is not rail served so KR is conducting a feasibility study for a new east-west line from Jochiwon via Sejong to Boryeong.
Should the inter-Korean border open fully for the free flow of railfreight traffic, railfreight will become far more important to Korail than it is today, as this opens up the possibility of sending freight from Japan via Korea, and via China or Russia to Europe.
In the meantime, Korail is pushing ahead with plans to run two passenger trains from Seoul to the Beijing Olympics next month. But, as IRJ goes to press, it is still far from clear whether Korail will gain approval from their North Korean counterparts for this highly symbolic service.
Korean cross-border train halted
A train returns to Dora Station in Paju, South Korea after a journey to the North (28/11/08)
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45248000/jpg/_45248271_-1.jpg
[Photo: BBC News - The train had been seen as a symbol of reconciliation between the countries.]
A train service connecting North and South Korea is to be suspended today, in a further sign of deteriorating relations between the two countries.
The line across the heavily fortified border was reopened last year and hailed as a symbol of reconciliation.
But North Korea announced on Monday it was suspending the service and other exchanges amid worsening ties.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has angered Pyongyang by taking a tougher stance towards the North.
Pyongyang has also said it will expel a number of South Koreans working on its side of the border and end a tour programme by 1 December.
The daily return cargo service ran from the South to Kaesong, a joint industrial zone in the North where 88 South Korean companies employ about 33,000 North Korean workers.
Last week, Pyongyang announced it intended to close its land border and cut non-military phone links with South Korea.
State news agency KCNA said it had taken the decision because "reckless confrontation" from South Korea was "beyond the danger level".
The South said such a closure would have "a negative impact on what has been achieved in inter-Korean relations".
Symbolic
A spokesman for South Korea's Unification Ministry, Kim Ho-nyeon, told a news conference in Seoul on Friday that both the train service and the tourist trips were being stopped.
"What I can say for sure is that South-North economic cooperation office staff are not returning," said Mr Kim
"They [North Korea] are giving notification individually to the enterprises...but the notification process is still ongoing."
But Mr Kim said up to 1,700 of the 4,000 South Koreans who work in Kaesong will be allowed to keep their permits to cross the border.
The BBC's John Sudworth in Seoul says the service was largely symbolic. Trains often ran empty because it was cheaper for South Korean companies to transport goods by road.
Rail lines between the two sides were first severed during the 1950-53 Korean War. No peace deal was signed, meaning that North and South Korea remain technically at war.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7753846.stm
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