The line from Suwon to Omokcheon is mainly through build-up area, but after Omokcheon the country really opens up. The dominating feature here is the KTX viaduct built to allow the high speed railway run without interruption from Seoul to Busan. This area is now relatively busy, there are now quite a few people living in the area and many roads are now crossing through the valley. These roads of course were the main reason why the railway was abandoned to begin with: first the buses and later private ownership of cars dealt the final blow to the railway in this area. However, ironically it is the construction of the new commuter line that has destroyed the line in parts of this area.
The map below shows the whole line between Suwon and Ansan. The first article described the part between numbers 1 and 2. This second article describes the line from just to the west of (2) and to the south of (4), mainly around (3).
The rest of the story is available after the break.
At (1) is the road bridge in Omokcheon over the삼천병마로 (Samcheonbyeongmaro). At (2) the tunnel is located, but this was not visited, the first point at which pictures were taken after the tunnel was (3) at 양지마을쌍용예가아파트 (Yangimaeul Ssangyong Yega APT), to the north of수영리 (Suyeongri). The 309 Road is at point (4), after which the line was only visited for a few 100 meters. The next point in the series below is at (5), close to the high speed railway line (which is the grey line numbered 7 on the map). Below and after the high speed line at (6) the embankment has already been demolished, nothing is left of the old line here.
So, we start of (4) with the first pictures:
The first photo which I could take after the road 43 embankment. This is the line behind the양지마을쌍용예가아파트 (Yangimaeul Ssangyong Yega APT), to the north of수영리 (Suyeongri).Behind the양지마을쌍용예가아파트 (Yangimaeul Ssangyong Yega APT) the line can still bes een easily, but then we had to run around the area.Looking back one more time towards Omokcheon. The bridge is the 309 road. Under it some people turned the area into a football field, a game was on-going.
Taken almost under the 309 main road, a view towards the west. This is where the country side truly begins.View from near the 309 road towards 천천리 (Cheoncheonri). From here to 원평리 (Wonpyeonri) we drove the car, until we got close to the KTX mainline bridge. The trees in the distance block the line anyway, they can be seen in the next picture again.Small bridge in the narrow gauge line at the KTX viaduct (which is to the back). The trees are blocking the passage towards Suwon.
The line from Suwon to Omokcheon is mainly through build-up area, but after Omokcheon the country really opens up. The dominating feature here is the KTX viaduct built to allow the high speed railway run without interruption from Seoul to Busan. This area is now relatively busy, there are now quite a few people living in the area and many roads are now crossing through the valley. These roads of course were the main reason why the railway was abandoned to begin with: first the buses and later private ownership of cars dealt the final blow to the railway in this area. However, ironically it is the construction of the new commuter line that has destroyed the line in parts of this area.
