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Incheon Station

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Incheon Station[a] (Korean: 인천역; Hanja: 仁川驛; RR: Incheon-yeok) is the western terminus railway station of the Suin–Bundang and Gyeongin lines of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. The station is in the Bukseong neighborhood of the Jung District, Incheon, South Korea and is approximately 20 kilometers west of Seoul.[2]: 115  Established in 1899 under the Korean Empire as Chemulpo Station[b] (제물포역; 濟物浦驛), Incheon Station is the oldest train station in the Seoul Capital Area.[3] During the Japanese occupation of Korea, the station was briefly named Hainchon Station (하인천역; 下仁川驛) and the original station building was destroyed during the Korean War. Service for the old Suin Line began in 1937 and ended in 1995; the new Suin Line (later merged as the Suin–Bundang Line) was extended to the station in 2016. Service for the Gyeongin Line began in 1974.

인천역
Incheon Station
The front of the Incheon Station. The building is two stories tall and has a large blue sign on top reading Incheon Station in Korean, English, and Japanese. The pavement in front of the station has blue tactile paving marking the route into the station. There are two entrance doors to the station, and a small statue of a steam train can be seen to the right. It is a bright day and the sky is slightly cloudy.
Incheon Station in 2023
General information
Location3-1 Bukseong-dong 1-ga,
307-2 Jemullyangno,
Jung District, Incheon
Coordinates37°28′33″N 126°37′01″E / 37.47583°N 126.61694°E / 37.47583; 126.61694
Operated byKorail Korail
Line(s)Gyeongin Line, Suin–Bundang Line
Platforms2 (Line 1)
2 (Suin–Bundang Line)
Tracks3 (Line 1)
2 (Suin–Bundang Line)
Bus routes
  • Blue bus routes 2, 10, 15, 28, and 45
  • Yellow bus route 307
  • Green bus route Incheon e-Eum 1
Construction
Structure type● Line 1: Aboveground
● Suin-Bundang Line: Underground
History
OpenedSeptember 18, 1899
Passengers
(Daily) Based on Jan-Dec of 2012.
Line 1: 7,642[1]
Services
Preceding station Seoul Metropolitan Subway Following station
Dongincheon
towards Yeoncheon
 Line 1
Local
 Terminus
Dongincheon
towards Dongducheon
 Line 1
Gyeongwon Express
Sinpo
towards Wangsimni or Cheongnyangni
 Suin–Bundang Line
Local
Inha University
towards Oido
 Suin–Bundang Line
Suin Express

History

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Chemulpo Station in 1908
 
The Chemulpo Station building
 
American railway cars at the station
 
The Sentetsu Mogai-class locomotives used by the Seoul & Chemulpo Railroad

Construction

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In 1896, Gojong of Korea gave the construction rights for a train line from Seoul to Jemulpo to American financier James R. Morse[4] under the condition that it would be returned to the government in 15 years.[5][6][2]: 118  In return, the Korean government provided government land and purchased privately owned land for Morse's company.[7]: 288  This was done in an attempt to keep the station from being appropriated by the Empire of Japan.[5][6][2]: 118  When construction for the railway began in 1897,[7]: 288  the station was originally planned to be built in the Takpo (탁포) area, but complaints from local residents led the Korean government to instead reclaim tidal land by the Incheon port for the station.[7]: 288  In 1899, the company ran out of funds and the rights to the station were sold to the Japanese Gyeongin Railway before construction was finished.[3][6][4]

The station opened to the public on September 18, 1899[2]: 118–119  under the name Chemulpo Station[b] (제물포역; 濟物浦驛).[5] The station was serviced by the Gyeongin Railway which operated trains from Incheon Station to Noryangjin station in Seoul;[5] the completion of the Hangang Railway Bridge in July 1900 later expanded service to Seoul Station.[8]: 278  The construction of the Gyeongin Railway and Incheon Station divided Incheon in half and limited development in the northern half of the city.[7]: 289 

Ownership over the station aided Japan during the 1904–5 Russo-Japanese War.[2]: 119  In 1926, the Empire of Japan changed the station name to Hainchon Station (하인천역; 下仁川驛) because of the station's proximity to the Incheon Supervisory Office [ko].[5] On June 1, 1948, the station name was changed to Incheon Station.[9] Incheon Station was destroyed during the Korean War, and a makeshift building was used until the opening of the current station building in September 1960.[3][6] In 2011, the city temporarily rebranded the station as Incheon Station (Chinatown) (인천역(차이나타운)).[10]

Passenger rail service

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A sign at the station describes it as the birthplace of Korean rail.

In 1937, the Japanese Chosen Railway built the Suin Line to transport salt from the Sorae salt field [ko] in Incheon to Suwon.[11] The narrow-gauge Suin Line operated until 1995, when the line was decommissioned to upgrade it into a standard-gauge railway.[11][12] Incheon Station was connected to the expanded Suin Line in 2016 during the second of three stages of construction.[12] The third stage of construction finished in 2020, merging the Suin Line with the Bundang Line into the Suin–Bundang Line and connecting Suwon to Incheon by rail for the first time in 25 years.[11][12][13]

Service on the Seoul Subway Line 1 began in 1974, replacing Gyeongin Line services.[14] Construction between 1991 and 2005 expanded the line to be double tracked.[15]

Ridership has declined from an average of 20,000 daily riders in the 1970s to fewer than 10,000 daily riders in 2023.[14][16]

Other services

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Freight rail service at Incheon Station ended in 2020 as a result of rising logistics costs and a greater focus on passenger rail service.[13] Deliveries of bituminous coal were redirected to the northern Pohang Station.[13]

On October 8, 2019, a connection was opened between Incheon Station and the Wolmi Sea Train tourist monorail.[17] The city had previously spent 85 billion won in 2009 constructing a connection between the station to Wolmido island, but operations for the line were suspended due to faulty construction.[18]

Location

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The station is adjacent to the Incheon Chinatown, which was founded by Chinese merchants who arrived in Incheon's port after it opened to foreign trade in 1883.[6][19][20] The station is also adjacent to Freedom Park [ko], the Incheon Harbor, Wolmido island, and the Songwol-dong Fairy Tale Village.[3]

Connecting bus services include Seoul blue bus routes 2, 10, 15, 28, and 45, Seoul yellow bus route 307, and Seoul green bus route Incheon e-Eum 1 serve the station.[21]

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Incheon Station serves as the background of several shots in the 2001 South Korean romantic comedy film My Sassy Girl.[22]

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  •  
    Station interior
  •  
    Above-ground platform
  •  
    Underground platform

Notes

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  1. ^ Historically romanized as Inchon Station
  2. ^ a b Sometimes romanized Jemulpo Station

References

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  1. ^ Monthly Number of Passengers between Subway Stations Archived 2014-10-06 at the Wayback Machine. Korea Transportation Database, 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
  2. ^ a b c d e Kyung, Moon Hwang (2022). A History of Korea (3rd ed.). Red Globe Press. ISBN 9781352013023.
  3. ^ a b c d "Incheon Station". Incheon Jung-gu Culture & Tourism. Jung District, Incheon. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Kim, Hyung-eun (October 19, 2009). "A dubious achievement". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e 이, 형우 (April 20, 2021). 동인천역은 인천 서쪽에 있는데 왜 동인천일까 [Dong-Incheon (East Incheon) Station is in the west of Incheon so why is it called Dong-Incheon (East Incheon) Station?]. Incheon Today (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e Kim, Hae-yeon (September 16, 2021). "Walking through gateway to Korea: Incheon". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d Choe, Yeong-jun (2005). Land and Life: A Historical Geographical Exploration of Korea. Translated by Kim, Sarah. Jain Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0895818355.
  8. ^ 고, 종석 (March 10, 2003). 히스토리아. 마음의산책. ISBN 8989351383.
  9. ^ "仁川驛等改名(인천역등개명)" [Incheon Station and others changed names] (in Korean). The Dong-A Ilbo. June 12, 1948. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023 – via Naver News Library.
  10. ^ 김, 성웅 (October 10, 2011). 인천역·차이나타운 역명부기 행사 [Event to name the Incheon Chinatown Station]. Incheon Ilbo [ko] (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  11. ^ a b c 김, 민영 (September 17, 2020). 돌아온 수인선, 하나로 이어진 수인분당선! [The return of the Suin Line, the Suin–Bundang Line that connects into one line!] (in Korean). Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c 김, 기훈 (September 10, 2020). 수인선 3단계 구간 12일 개통...25년 만에 전 구간 연결 [The third phase of the Suin Line opens on the 12th...for the first time in 25 years, all sections are connected]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c 이, 주영 (August 20, 2020). 인천역 화물운송 역사의 뒤안길로 [The history of the decline of cargo transport at Incheon Station]. Incheon Ilbo [ko] (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  14. ^ a b 이, 주영 (October 10, 2023). "'"최초"·"탄생지"로 주목받던 전 여전히 19세기에 있습니다'" ['The city that attracted attention for being the "first" and the "birthplace" is stuck in the 19th century']. Incheon Ilbo [ko] (in Korean). p. 1. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  15. ^ 이, 용수 (December 20, 2005). 주안~인천역 복복선 오늘 개통 [Double-tracked line from Juan to Incheon stations opens today]. The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  16. ^ 이, 주영 (October 10, 2023). 종착역=인천역...벗어날 출구 어디에 [Terminus station=Incheon Station...How will it overcome]. Incheon Ilbo [ko] (in Korean). p. 3. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  17. ^ Yoo, Cheong-mo (October 7, 2019). "Incheon to open seaside monorail line to draw more tourists". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  18. ^ Na, Jeong-ju (April 4, 2012). "In financial pinch, Incheon under pressure to downscale Asiad plan". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  19. ^ Her, Yun-hee (February 27, 2022). "Strolling through history in Incheon's Gaehangjang, the birthplace of jjajangmyeon". The Hankyoreh. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  20. ^ Kirk, Don (March 23, 2001). "Inchon: Look on the Bright Side". International Herald Tribune. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023 – via The New York Times.
  21. ^ 버스정보시스템. bus.incheon.go.kr. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  22. ^ Lee, Hae-joo (September 15, 2009). "Isn't that the train station from 'My Sassy Girl'?". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
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