KTX Gangneung Line

A snowy-day cab ride on a KTX train from Seoul to Gangneung, out along the Han river, through the Taebaek mountains and down to the city on the East Sea coast.

The route

The KTX Gangneung Line links Seoul with Gangneung, the largest city on the east coast of Gangwon Province. Trains leave Seoul Station or Cheongnyangni, run east on the upgraded Jungang Line to Seowonju near Wonju, and then take the new Gangneung Line for the last 120 km across the province. The line opened on 22 December 2017, a few weeks before the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, to carry spectators to the snow venues around Pyeongchang and the ice arenas in Gangneung.

Between Seowonju and Gangneung the railway has to cross the Taebaek range, the mountain spine of the Korean peninsula, so about 63 percent of the new section runs in tunnels, 34 of them in all. The longest, the Daegwallyeong Tunnel, is 21.755 km long and was the longest mountain tunnel in Korea when it was holed through in 2015. Before the line opened, the Mugunghwa train from Seoul to Gangneung over the old Yeongdong Line took close to six hours.

The new section was designed for 250 km/h, and the KTX has become the main public-transport link between the capital and the Gangwon coast. It carries commuters and students, but above all weekend travellers heading for the beaches of Gangneung, the ski resorts around Pyeongchang and Odaesan National Park, which is served by Jinbu station. During the 2018 Games, Jinbu was the railhead for the mountain venues, with shuttle buses running from the station.

What you will see

This video was filmed from the driver's cab of a KTX-Eum train on a snowy winter day. It shows no speed or location data, and a few short passages are blurred or muted. The first part runs through Seoul: out of Seoul Station, along the north bank of the Han river and across the east of the city to Cheongnyangni and Sangbong, before the train leaves the built-up area on the Jungang Line and follows the river valley east into Gyeonggi Province.

Just after Seowonju the train passes Manjong and turns onto the Gangneung Line proper. From here long tunnels alternate with short open stretches of snow-covered fields, pine slopes and small valleys as the line climbs through Hoengseong, Dunnae and Pyeongchang into the highlands of the Taebaek range. Jinbu, the station for Odaesan National Park, was built with platforms long enough for the 20-car trains that ran during the Olympics.

After Jinbu comes the Daegwallyeong Tunnel, by far the longest dark stretch of the video at almost 22 km. The train runs under the Daegwallyeong pass and comes out on the coastal side of the mountains for the final run into Gangneung station, rebuilt for the new line. The sea itself is not on the line: Gyeongpo beach and the rest of the coast are a short bus or taxi ride from the station.

Riding it for real

KTX trains on the Gangneung Line are run by Korail. Most start at Seoul Station or Cheongnyangni and call at Sangbong and some of the stations along the way, including Manjong, Hoengseong, Dunnae, Pyeongchang and Jinbu on the new section; not every train stops at every station. All seats are reserved, and tickets can be booked on Korail's website and app. Foreign visitors can also use the Korail Pass.

Weekend and holiday trains towards Gangneung can sell out, especially in the summer holidays, so book ahead if your dates are fixed. Check Korail for current timetables and fares before you travel.

The video is embedded from YouTube and remains on its owner’s channel. Views count toward the original video.