.mw-parser-output .hidden-begin{box-sizing:border-box;width:100%;padding:5px;border:none;font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .hidden-title{font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .hidden-content{text-align:left}You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Korean. (September 2022) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia.
Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article.
You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Korean Wikipedia article at [[:ko:호남선]]; see its history for attribution.
You should also add the template ((Translated|ko|호남선)) to the talk page.
For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.
A Honam Railway from Seoul to Mokpo was first proposed in 1896 by a French company.[1] 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.[1] Japan the seized much of the fertile Honam plain in advance of a planned Honam Line.[1]
The construction of the line started in 1910.[1] The first 39.9 km (24.8 mi) between Daejeon and Yeonsan was opened in July 1911.[1] The line was extended to Ganggyeong in November 1911, to Iri (today Iksan) in March 1912, to Gimje in October 1912 and to Jeongeup in December 1912.[1] Construction continued from the other end of the line, with the section from Mokpo to Hakgyo (today Hampyeong) opened in May 1913; and extended to Naju in July 1913, to Songjeong-ri (today Gwangju·Songjeong) in October 1913, and finally to Jeongeup,[1] completing the line on January 11, 1914.[2]
Upgrade
Duplication
The Honam Line was upgraded to an electrified and double-tracked line for higher speeds in stages. Double-tracking construction work started in 1968.[3] Double-tracking of the last remaining single-track section, Songjeong–Mokpo,[3] and the electrification of the whole line, including the Gwangju spur,[4] was finished for the start of Korea Train Express (KTX) services on April 1, 2004.[5] The present line length from Daejeon to Mokpo is 252.5 km (156.9 mi),[2] the line distance from Seoul to Mokpo is 407.6 km (253.3 mi).[5]
Speeding-up upgrade
To serve KTX and SRT, section from GwangjuSongjeong to Gomagwon was upgraded to accomplish maximum speed of 230 km/h. Total length of the project is 25.9 km and it was completed in June 2020.[6]
Major stations
Major stations and junctions along the line include:
The Honam Line is served by freight trains, as well as cross-country Mugunghwa-ho, intercity ITX-Saemaeul and high-speed KTX passenger trains.
As of October 2010, the minimum travel time from Yongsan Station in Seoul to Mokpo in South Jeolla is a minimum of 4 hours 42 minutes by ITX-Saemaeul and a minimum of 5 hours 2 minutes by Mugunghwa. On the Honam Line itself, from Seodaejeon to Mokpo, travel time is a minimum of 2 hours 51 minutes by ITX-Saemaeul and a minimum of 3 hours 5 minutes by Mugunghwa.[7]
^"호남고속2단계, 인천발, 수원발 KTX 공사 본격 추진" [Honam HSR 2nd pase, KTX from Incheon project, KTX from Suwon project are initiated in full-scale drive] (PDF). MOLIT official website (in Korean). MOLIT. 2020-12-20. p. 5. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
