Yeoncheon station
Yeoncheon Station is an at-grade metro station on Line 1 of the Seoul Subway in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. The station is the northern terminus of Line 1 and serves as a major transportation hub for the region. It is also notable for its historic water tower, which is a registered cultural property.
History
The station opened on July 25, 1912.The water tower on the station grounds, used by steam locomotives in the past, was designated as a registered cultural property due to its well-preserved condition and historical value. Bullet marks from the Korean War are still visible on the tower, serving as a historical resource.
Yeoncheon Station is located north of the 38th parallel north, and thus belonged to North Korea under Soviet military rule before the outbreak of the Korean War. A cargo platform, installed in 1948 to transport military supplies, remains on the west side of the station and is still used for military cargo transportation today.
On December 16, 2023, service on Seoul Subway Line 1 was extended to this station.
Timeline
- July 25, 1912: Station opens for business.
- October 8, 1958: The old station building is completed.
- July 28, 2011: Operations are suspended due to track loss caused by the 2011 floods in central Korea.
- March 21, 2012: Commuter train service resumes.
- August 1, 2014: The Peace Train begins operation.
- October 31, 2014: Construction for the Seoul Subway Line 1 extension begins.
- April 1, 2019: All train services are temporarily suspended for electrification work; replacement bus service begins.
- December 16, 2023: The single-track Seoul Subway Line 1 extension between Soyosan and Yeoncheon opens.
Station layout
Platform screen doors are installed on the island platform for Seoul Subway Line 1.
Water tower
The Yeoncheon station water tower is a water tower built in 1914 at Yeoncheon Station in Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It was designated as National Registered Cultural Property No. 45 on January 28, 2003.Background
The Gyeongwon Line, built during the Japanese colonial period, was extended to Yeoncheon Station on July 25, 1912. Steam locomotives required water towers to replenish their water supply at regular intervals. The first water towers in Korea were built along the Gyeongin Line in 1899. By 2003, only seven of these historic water towers remained in Korea, all of which were designated as registered cultural heritage sites.Structure
The Yeoncheon station water tower was built to supply water to steam locomotives on the Gyeongwon Line. Two towers, one box-shaped and one cylindrical, remain. The box-shaped tower is made of concrete with a three-tiered façade. It has an arched entrance and an exterior with painted joints, giving it the appearance of brickwork. The cylindrical tower has three well-preserved water pipes and mechanical equipment. Bullet marks from the Korean War are visible on its exterior. Although it became obsolete in the 1950s with the introduction of diesel locomotives, it remains a valuable piece of railway history.Patronage
The 2023 data reflects the 16-day period from December 16 to December 31, 2023.Around the station
- Yeoncheon County Office
- Yeoncheon Public Bus Terminal
- Yeoncheon Elementary School
- Yeoncheon Police Station
- Yeoncheon Agricultural Cooperative
- Yeoncheon Post Office
- Yeoncheon-eup Administrative Welfare Center
- Yeoncheon Middle School
- Yeoncheon High School
- Yeoncheon County Senior Welfare Center
- Yeoncheon-gun Sureul Art Hall
- Yeoncheon Sports Complex