Honam Line

A Honam Railway from Seoul to Mokpo was first proposed in 1896 by a French company. After the start of the Russo-Japanese War, in May 1904, Imperial Japan forced Korea to sign an agreement granting the Japanese military control over railways, including the right to seize land. Upgrade Duplication The Honam Line was upgraded to an electrified and double-tracked line for higher speeds in stages. The construction of the double track began on January 4, 1968. On March 30, 1978, the section from Daejeonjochajang station to Iksan station via Seodaejeon station was double-tracked. The double-track work for the section south of Iksan station on the Honam Line began in February 1981, and the double-track work was completed to Songjeong-ri station in Gwangju on September 6, 1988. Double-tracking of the last remaining single-track section, Songjeong–Mokpo, was finished for the start of Korea Train Express (KTX) services on April 1, 2004. The present line length from Daejeon to Mokpo is , == Major stations ==

Major stations and junctions along the line include: • Daejeon, junction with the Gyeongbu Line to Seoul and Busan; • Seodaejeon, the Daejeon passenger station for Honam Line trains; • Iksan (formerly named Iri), the terminus of the Jeolla and Janghang Lines; • GwangjuSongjeong, the major station in Gwangju for through trains to Mokpo, and the junction with the Gyeongjeon Line; • Naju, the major station in Naju; • Mokpo, a seaport on the south coast. == Services ==

The Honam Line is served by freight trains, as well as cross-country Mugunghwa-ho, intercity ITX-Saemaeul/MAUM and high-speed KTX passenger trains. As of October 2024, the minimum travel time from Yongsan Station in Seoul to Mokpo in South Jeolla Province is at least 4 hours and 20 minutes for ITX-MAUM and at least 5 hours and 14 minutes for Mugunghwa. Even on the Honam Line from Seodaejeon to Mokpo itself, the travel time is at least 2 hours and 34 minutes for ITX-MAUM and at least 3 hours and 4 minutes for Mugunghwa. == See also ==