View source for Jeolla Line

{{Short description|Railway line in South Korea}}
{{update|date=April 2015}}
{{Infobox rail line
|box_width        = auto
|name             = Jeolla Line
|other_name       = 
|native_name      = 전라선(全羅線)
|native_name_lang = ko
|color            = 0066b3
|image            = Korail Jeolla Line.png
|image_width      = 
|image_alt        = 
|caption          = 
|type             = [[Passenger rail terminology#Heavy rail|Heavy rail]], Passenger/freight rail<br/>[[Intercity rail]], [[Regional rail]]
|system           = 
|status           = Operational
|locale           = [[North Jeolla Province|North Jeolla]], [[South Jeolla Province|South Jeolla]]
|start            = [[Iksan station|Iksan]]
|end              = [[Yeosu Expo station|Yeosu Expo]]
|stations         = 30
|open             = Stages between 1914-1936
|close            = 
|owner            = [[Korea Rail Network Authority]]
|operator         = [[Korail]]
|character        = 
|depot            = 
|stock            = 
|linelength_km    = 180.4
|tracks           = [[Double track]] (Iksan - [[Yeocheon station|Yeocheon]])<br/>[[Single track (rail)|Single track]] (Yeocheon - Yeosu Expo)
|gauge            = {{Track gauge|sg|allk=on}}
|routenumber      = 
|linenumber       = 
|electrification  = 25 kV 60 Hz [[Alternating current|AC]] [[Overhead line]]
|speed_km/h       = 
|speed_mph        = 
|speed            = {{convert|230|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} (maximum)
|map_state        = collapsed
|map              = {{routemap|inline=1|map=
STR~~[[Honam Line]]
BHF~~0.0~~Iksan
ABZgr~~[[Janghang Line]]
ABZgr~~[[Honam Line]]
HST~~2.8~~East Iksan
BHF~~13.6~~Samnye
hKRZWae~~[[Mangyeong river]]
HST~~17.6~~Dongsan
ABZgr~~[[Bukjeonju Line]]
BHF~~25.5~~Jeonju
HST~~34.9~~Shin-ri
HST~~40.0~~Jungnimoncheon
HST~~49.0~~Gwanchon
BHF~~53.0~~Imsil
HST~~59.3~~Bongcheon
BHF~~63.6~~Osu
HST~~69.5~~Seodo
HST~~75.9~~Sanseong
BHF~~79.5~~Namwon
HST~~85.3~~Jusaeng
HST~~88.3~~Ongjeong
HST~~91.4~~Geumji
STR+GRZq~~↑[[North Jeolla Province|North Jeolla]]/[[South Jeolla Province|South Jeolla]]↓
BHF~~97.1~~Gokseong
HST~~108.6~~Amnok
BHF~~117.4~~Guryegu
HST~~121.0~~Bongdeok
HST~~126.2~~Goemok
HST~~134.4~~Gaeun
HST~~137.6~~Dongun
ABZg+r~~[[Gyeongjeon Line]]
BHF~~145.6~~Suncheon
ABZgl~~[[Gyeongjeon Line]]
HST~~150.8~~Seongsan
HST~~157.0~~Yulchon
eHST~~ ~~''Sinpung''~~ ~~Until 2011
HST~~165.6~~Deogyang
ABZgl~~[[Yeocheon Line]]
BHF~~170.9~~Yeocheon
eHST~~ ~~''Mipyeong''~~ ~~Until 2011
eHST~~ ~~''Manseong''~~ ~~Until 2011
KBHFe~~180.4~~Yeosu Expo
}}
}}
{{Infobox Korean name
|hangul=전라선
|hanja=全羅線
|rr=Jeollaseon
|mr=Chŏllasŏn
}}

The '''Jeolla Line''' ({{Korean|hangul=전라선}}) is a railway line in [[North Jeolla Province|North]] and [[South Jeolla Province|South Jeolla]] Provinces in [[South Korea]]. The line is served by frequent passenger trains from [[Seoul]] (via the [[Gyeongbu Line|Gyeongbu]] and [[Honam Line]]s) to [[Yeosu]].

==History==

The first railway along a section of what became the Jeolla Line was the '''Zenboku Lightrail Line''', a {{convert|762|mm|abbr=on}} narrow gauge line from [[Iksan station|Riri]] to [[Jeonju Station|Zenshu]] opened by the privately owned [[Zenboku Light Railway]] on 12 November 1917.<ref name="land">{{cite web |url=http://www.land.go.kr/document/info/honam/jl06.pdf |title=전라지방 - 교통∙통신체계의 발달 |publisher=Land Portal |access-date=2010-12-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722140418/http://www.land.go.kr/document/info/honam/jl06.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-22 }} </ref>  In 1927, the line was nationalised,<ref name="land"/> and the [[Chosen Government Railway]] (''Sentetsu'') soon set to converting the line to standard gauge; this work was begun on 18 April 1929 and completed later that year.<ref name="omn-gwangju">{{cite web |url=http://www.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/view/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0000059863&PAGE_CD= |title=안전제일 철도에서 위험천만 돌밭길로? |date=2001-11-24 |publisher=[[OhmyNews]] |access-date=2010-12-04}}</ref> Sentetsu then extended the line, completing the Jeonju–[[Namwon station|Namwon]] section in October 1931,<ref name="omn-gwangju"/> the Namwon–[[Gokseong station|Gokseong]] section in October 1933,<ref name="omn-gwangju"/> and finally the Gokseong–Suncheon section<ref name="omn-gwangju"/> on 16 December 1936.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://info.korail.com/2007/kra/ope/ope08000/w_ope08606.jsp |title=경영원칙 > 경영공시 > 영업현황 > 영업거리현황 |publisher=[[Korail]] |access-date=2010-11-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722192217/http://info.korail.com/2007/kra/ope/ope08000/w_ope08606.jsp |archive-date=2011-07-22 }} </ref>

In 1936, Sentetsu nationalised the privately owned [[Chosen Railway]]'s [[Songnyeo Line|Gwangnyeo Line]], which ran from [[Gwangju Songjeong Station|Songjeongni]] to Yeosu and [[Yeosuhang Station|Yeosu Port]] via [[Suncheon station|Suncheon]],<ref name="land2">{{cite web |url=http://www.sunchonnet.com/webbase/cultizen/heritage.asp?page=1&area=2&type=-1&hc=-2&sk=2&sv=&seq=11 |title=여수 율촌역 |publisher=Sunchonnet.com |access-date=2010-12-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716162833/http://www.sunchonnet.com/webbase/cultizen/heritage.asp?page=1&area=2&type=-1&hc=-2&sk=2&sv=&seq=11 |archive-date=2011-07-16 }}</ref> renaming it '''Songnyeo Line''' and splitting it apart to merge the Suncheon–Yeosu section with the Jeonbuk Line to create the '''Jeolla Line''' in 1936.<ref name="land"/> The line was completed with the reconstruction of the Iri (today Iksan) to Jeonju section in March 1937.<ref name="land"/>

===Upgrade===<!-- [[Korea Train Express#Further upgrades of connecting conventional lines]] links here-->

The upgrade of the Iksan-Suncheon section started with the construction of a bypass around Jeonju with wider curves, opened in 1981.

From 1989, the first phase of the project to re-lay and double-track the line, mostly in a new alignment with wider curves, longer tunnels and bridges, was launched on three sections between Sin-ri, at the end of the Jeonju realignment, and Suncheon. The two longest new structures were the {{Convert|5,671|m|ft|abbr=on|0}} long<ref name="Railnews2004">{{cite web|url=http://railnews.korail.go.kr/20040801/00532.html |script-title=ko:전라선 복선화 16년간의 대장정, 한국철도 지도를 바꾸다! |language=ko |date=2004-08-01 |work=Railnews |publisher=[[Korail]] |access-date=2010-11-04 }}{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Byeongpung Tunnel, north of [[Suncheon station|Suncheon]], and the {{Convert|6,128|m|ft|abbr=on|0}} long Seulchi Tunnel, south of [[Jeonju Station|Jeonju]], which became South Korea's longest rail tunnel,<ref name="Railnews2004"/> surpassing Jeongam Tunnel on the [[Taebaek Line]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.investkorea.org/InvestKoreaWar/work/ik/eng/bo/bo_01.jsp?no=610190001&bno=711290029&sort_num=130&code=102050104010101010101010101010101&mode=bbs&url_info=./bbs_read.jsp&l_unit=90202&m_unit=&s_unit=&page=11&sel=title&val= |title=From the coal transportation hub to the four-season leisure and sports gateway - Gohan Station (Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do). |date=2007-11-21 |publisher=InvestKorea |access-date=2010-11-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008010531/http://www.investkorea.org/InvestKoreaWar/work/ik/eng/bo/bo_01.jsp?no=610190001&bno=711290029&sort_num=130&code=102050104010101010101010101010101&mode=bbs&url_info=.%2Fbbs_read.jsp&l_unit=90202&m_unit=&s_unit=&page=11&sel=title&val= |archive-date=2011-10-08 }}</ref> The three sections of the first phase with altogether {{convert|64.3|km|abbr=on}}, shortening the original route by {{convert|16.7|km|abbr=on}}, were finished by 1999 and entered service on 18 May 1999.<ref name="Railnews2004"/> The two gaps between those sections were plugged in a second phase in 2002 and August 2004, the altogether {{convert|58.3|km|abbr=on}} long new sections shortened the line by another {{convert|11.4|km|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Railnews2004"/>

The third phase of the upgrading project, started in 2002, involved the double-tracking of the remaining {{convert|35.2|km|abbr=on}} long single-track section from Iksan to Sin-ri, until the end of the Jeonju realignment, and electrification of the entire double-tracked and re-aligned section from Iksan to Suncheon, altogether {{convert|154.2|km|abbr=on}},<ref name="KRNA_2010-1">{{cite web |url=http://www.krnetwork.or.kr/service/condition/RouteMapView.do?PA_MAP_ID=12381 |title=전라선 복선전철화 |publisher=Korea Rail Network Authority |access-date=2010-10-24}}</ref> to allow speeds of {{convert|180|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name="irj-future">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.railjournal.com/altfeature1.shtml |title=Korea's railways face a bright future |date=2008-07-01 |magazine=[[International Railway Journal]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416195911/http://www.railjournal.com/altfeature1.shtml |archive-date=2009-04-16 |access-date=2010-08-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref> By March 2010, progress on the {{convert|154.2|km|abbr=on}} section from Iksan to Suncheon reached 63.0%.<ref name="KRNA_2010-1"/>  This phase of the project is implemented as a public private partnership of the Build-Transfer-Lease (BTL) method, with a government contribution of 510.852 billion won and a BTL share of 470.699 billion won.<ref name="KRNA_2010-1"/>  The upgrade and re-alignment of the final Suncheon-Yeosu section was launched as a separate project in 2001,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mayor.yeosu.go.kr/home/mayor/promise/work/show/27?page=1&search=&keyword=&cate_sel= |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140105095050/http://mayor.yeosu.go.kr/home/mayor/promise/work/show/27?page=1&search=&keyword=&cate_sel= |url-status=dead |archive-date=2014-01-05 |script-title=ko:지역 현안 사업 |language=ko |publisher=Mayor of Yeosu's office |access-date=2010-11-12 }}</ref> with work starting in December 2003.<ref name="rgi-korailplans">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/10/south-koreas-growing-network.html |title=South Korea's growing network |date=2008-09-08 |magazine=[[Railway Gazette International]] |access-date=2010-08-29 |archive-date=2012-12-05 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205072403/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/10/south-koreas-growing-network.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> As of March 2010, progress on the {{convert|40.0|km|abbr=on}} long alignment stood at 88.0% out of a total budget of 732.002 billion won.<ref name="KRNA_2010-2">{{cite web |url=http://www.krnetwork.or.kr/service/condition/RouteMapView.do?PA_MAP_ID=12379 |title=순천~여수 복선전철 |publisher=Korea Rail Network Authority |access-date=2010-10-24}}</ref>  The entire upgrading project is to be completed in 2011.<ref name="KRNA_2010-1"/><ref name="KRNA_2010-2"/>

On September 1, 2010, the South Korean government announced a strategic plan to reduce travel times from Seoul to 95% of the country to under 2 hours by 2020. As part of the plan, the Jeolla Line is to be further upgraded for {{convert|230|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name="plans2020">{{cite web |url=http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2925474 |title=Bullet trains coming to a town near you by 2020 |date=2010-09-02 |publisher=[[JoongAng Daily]] |access-date=2010-10-27}}</ref>

==Major stations==

Major stations and junctions on the line:

*[[Iksan station|Iksan]] (formerly known as Iri), junction with the [[Honam Line]] and [[Janghang Line]];
*Dongsan, terminus of the [[Bukjeonju Line]];
*[[Jeonju]], capital of North Jeolla;
*[[Suncheon station|Suncheon]], junction with the [[Gyeongjeon Line]];
*Deogyang, terminus of the [[Yeocheon Line]]; and
*[[Yeosu]] on the south coast.

==Services==

The Jeolla Line is served by intercity [[ITX-Saemaeul]] trains and cross-country [[Mugunghwa-ho]] trains. As of October 2010, the travel time on the [[Saemaeul-ho]] from [[Yongsan station]] in Seoul is a minimum 3 hours 28 minutes to [[Jeonju Station|Jeonju]], 4 hours 33 minutes to [[Suncheon station|Suncheon]] and 5 hours 15 minutes to [[Yeosu Station|Yeosu]], with 2 hours 30 minutes taken for the Iksan&mdash;Jeosu travel along the Jeolla Line itself {{clarify|date=April 2015}}. [[Mugunghwa-ho]] trains that also start in [[Yongsan station|Yongsan]] cover the line from [[Iksan station|Iksan]] to Yeosu in between a minimum of 2 hours 30 minutes and a maximum of 4 hours, depending on the number of stops.<ref name="booking">{{cite web |url=http://www.korail.com/en/rv/pr21100/w_pr21110.jsp |title=Booking |publisher=[[Korail]] |access-date=2010-10-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713164814/http://www.korail.com/en/rv/pr21100/w_pr21110.jsp |archive-date=2011-07-13 }} </ref>

===Jeolla KTX===<!-- [[Korea Train Express#Services]] and [[Gyeongbu High Speed Railway#Other services]] links here-->

Yeosu hosted the [[Expo 2012]], and Korail timed the introduction of [[Korea Train Express]] services on the line ahead of the event.<ref name="rgi-korailplans"/> Original plans foresaw the start of Jeolla KTX services in April 2011, reducing the Seoul–Yeosu travel time to 2 hours 55 minutes, using [[KTX-II]] (KTX-Sancheon) high-speed trains.<ref name="KTX-2011">{{cite news|url=http://issue.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/05/12/2010051201015.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708150010/http://issue.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/05/12/2010051201015.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-07-08 |script-title=ko:숙박ㆍ교통ㆍ민자 사업 어디까지 왔나 어디를 가도 '여수는 지금 공사중' 2조원 투입해 2년간 단계별 건립 도심연결 도로망ㆍ교통혼잡은 숙제 |language=ko |date=2010-05-12 |newspaper=[[The Chosun Ilbo]] |access-date=2010-10-19 }}</ref>  In February 2011, when the necessary electrification works were 96% complete, the start of services was postponed to September 2011, and the Yongsan–Yeosu travel time was planned to be 3 hours 7 minutes.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/02/17/2011021702021.html |title=여수엑스포 SOC 사업, 속도 낸다 |language=ko |date=2011-02-17 |newspaper=[[The Chosun Ilbo]] |access-date=2011-02-20}}</ref>  After the completion of the first stage of the [[Honam High Speed Railway]], the travel time is planned to reduce to 2 hours 25 minutes.<ref name="KTX-2011"/>

==See also==
*[[Korail]]
*[[Transportation in South Korea]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline}}

{{Clear}}
{{Korail Lines}}

[[Category:Railway lines in South Korea]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1914]]