Seoul Station(Korean:서울역) is a major railway station inSeoul,the capital ofSouth Korea.The station is served by the Korail Intercity Lines and the commuter trains of theSeoul Metropolitan Subway.

Seoul

서울
Korean name
Hangul
서울역
Hanja
서울 dịch
Revised RomanizationSeoul-yeok
McCune–ReischauerSŏul-yŏk
General information
LocationBongnae-dongandDongja-dong,Seoul
South Korea
Coordinates37°33′11″N126°58′21″E/ 37.55319°N 126.97260°E/37.55319; 126.97260
Operated by
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade and underground (Subway and AREX)
History
OpenedJuly 8, 1900(1900-07-08)(original station building)

Services

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Seoul Station is the terminus of most KTX trains including:

  • All trains along the Gyeongbu High Speed Line to Busan, Daejeon, Daegu, Pohang, Masan and Jinju.
  • Some trains exclusively Honam High Speed Line and Jeolla lines to GwangjuSongjeong, Mokpo, Suncheon and Yeosu Expo.
  • Almost all trains along the Gyeonggang line to Pyeongchang,Jinbu,Gangneung&Donghae;and
  • All KTX trains operating along sections of the conventional Gyeongbu line.

Some KTX services operating along sections of the conventional Honam Line bound for GwangjuSongjeong, Mokpo and Yeosu Expo arrive and depart Yongsan Station.[1]

ITX-Saemaeul

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Seoul Station is the terminus of all ITX-Saemaeul trains along the Gyeongbu and Gyeongjeon Lines to Busan, Daejeon, Daegu, Pohang, Masan and Jinju. ITX-Saemaeul trains on the Honam and Jeolla lines arrive and depart Yongsan Station. ITX-Saemaeul trains to the east of Korea serve Cheongnyangni Station.[2]

Mugunghwa-ho

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Seoul Station is the terminus of all Mugunghwa-ho trains along the Gyeongbu and Gyeongjeon Lines toBusan,Daejeon,Daegu,Pohang,MasanandJinju;along the and along the Chungbuk Line to Jecheon. Mugunghwa-ho trains on the Honam and Jeolla lines arrive and depart Yongsan Station. Mugunghwa-ho trains to the east of Korea serve Cheongnyangni Station.[3]

Korail Tourist Trains

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Seoul Station is the terminus of a number of Korail's tourist trains, including:

  • The DMZ train to Dorasan and Baekmago[4]
  • The O-train which loops the centre of the peninsula via Jecheon, Buncheon and Cheoram[5]
  • The S-train to Yeosu[6]

AREX Airport Railway

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AREXoperate two trains from Seoul Station. AREX Express trains run non-stop toIncheon Airportstopping only atIncheon Terminal 1andIncheon Terminal 2.[7]AREX All-Stop trains are commuter style trains that stop 11 times, including at Seoul'sGimpo Airport.[8]

AREX Express passengers have exclusive access to Seoul Station'sCity Air Terminalwhich allows passengers travelling on most Korean airlines from Incheon Airport to check bags and receive boarding passes before boarding the train. Access to the underground Airport Railroad Station and City Air Terminal is either from the central station concourse or via a dedicated drop off area and car park on the west side of the station.

Seoul Subway

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Seoul Subwayserves the station withLine 1andLine 4,and an hourly train on theGyeongui–Jungang Line.

Around 2015, a large bus transfer center was built in front of the station's main entrance. It has about nine platforms that services different bus routes in Seoul. It is separated from the main roads with a barrier around the platforms. Yet having a rather complicated structure with many bus platforms, the transfer center is built in a simple manner as it is not a separate terminal building.[9]

Station layout

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Korail

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서울
Seoul
General information
Location43–205, Dongja-dong,Yongsan-gu,Seoul(1 Namdaemunno)
Owned byKorea Rail Network Authority
Operated byKorail
Line(s)
Platforms14 + 1Gyeongui–Jungang Lineplatform
Tracks
Construction
Structure typeGround
Other information
Station codeP313 (Gyeongui–Jungang Line)
History
OpenedSeptember 12, 1988
Passengers
  • 93,171 (Korail Intercity)[10]
  • 13,263 (Gyeongui–Jungang Line)[11]
Services
Preceding station Korea Train Express Following station
Haengsin
Terminus
Gyeongbu KTX Gwangmyeong
towardsBusan
Gyeongbu KTX
via Gupo
Gyeongjeon KTX Gwangmyeong
towardsJinju
Donghae KTX Gwangmyeong
towardsPohang
Terminus Gyeongbu KTX
via Suwon
Yeongdeungpo
towardsBusan
Gyeonggang KTX Cheongnyangni
Jungang KTX Cheongnyangni
towardsAndong
Preceding station Following station
Terminus Mugunghwa-ho
Yongsan
towardsBusan
Yeongdeungpo
towardsJecheon
Yeongdeungpo
towardsJinju
Preceding station Seoul Metropolitan Subway Following station
Sinchon
towardsMunsan
Gyeongui–Jungang Line Terminus
Gyeongui–Jungang Line
Gyeongui Express Line
Sinchon
| | | | | |1|
Terminus

Sinchon
Seobu| |14·13| |12·11| |10·9| |8·7| |6·5| |4·3| |2·1|
Namyeong
Platform No. Line Train Destination
1 Seoul SubwayGyeongui-Jungang Line B Express·A Express·Local
1·2 Seoul SubwayLine 1 Former Cheonan·Sinchang Express A unusing
3·12 Mainline trains

Gyeongbu Line

KTX·ITX-Saemaeul·Mugunghwa-ho
13·14 Mainline trains

Gangneung Line

KTX

AREX

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서울역
Seoul Station
Entrance for AREX
General information
Owned byKorea Rail Network Authority
Operated byAirport Railroad Co., Ltd.
Platforms2
Tracks3
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
Other information
Station codeA01
History
OpenedDecember 29, 2010
ElectrifiedYes
Passengers
29,796[11]
Services
Preceding station Seoul Metropolitan Subway Following station
Terminus AREX Gongdeok
AREX
Express
Incheon Int'l Airport Terminal 1

Terminus

Local Express

Gongdeok↓ /Incheon Int'l Airport Terminal 1

Line Train Destination
AREX Local
Express
Exit Only
AREX Local
AREX Express
  • Platform numbers are not assigned; instead, platforms are classified as "express" or "local"

Platform layout (AREX)

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AREX platform level Eastbound local AREX LocalAlighting passengers only
Island platform,doors will open on the right
Westbound local AREX LocaltowardIncheon Int'l Airport Terminal 2(Gongdeok)
Express AREX ExpresstowardIncheon Int'l Airport Terminal 2(Incheon Int'l Airport Terminal 1)
AREX ExpressAlighting passengers only
Side platform,doors will open on the right

Seoul Metro

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서울역
Seoul Station
서울역
Seoul Station
Line 1 platform
General information
LocationBongnaedong 2-ga,Jung-gu(Line 1)
Dongja-dong,Yongsan-gu(Line 4)
Seoul
Operated bySeoul Metro
Platforms
  • 1 (Line 1)
  • 1 (Line 4)
Tracks
  • 2 (Line 1)
  • 2 (Line 4)
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
History
OpenedAugust 15, 1974 (Line 1)
October 18, 1985 (Line 4)
ElectrifiedYes
Passengers
  • 133,833 (Line 1)[11]
  • 32,687 (Line 4)[11]
Services
Preceding station Seoul Metropolitan Subway Following station
City Hall
towardsYeoncheon
Line 1 Namyeong
towardsIncheon
City Hall Namyeong
City Hall Line 1
Gyeongwon Express
Namyeong
towardsIncheon
City Hall Line 1
Gyeongbu Express
Namyeong
towardsSinchang
Hoehyeon
towardsJinjeop
Line 4 Sookmyung Women's University
towardsOido
Platform Line Destination
Line 1 Platform
To Sinchang / Incheon Line 1
To Yeoncheon Line 1
Line 4 Platform
To Jinjeop Line 4
To Oido Line 4

Platform layout (Seoul Metro)

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Line 1 platforms Southbound Line 1towardIncheon,SinchangorSeodongtan(Namyeong)
Island platform,doors will open on the right
Northbound Line 1towardYeoncheon,UijeongbuorKwangwoon University(City Hall)
Line 4 platforms Northbound Line 4towardJinjeop(Hoehyeon)
Island platform,doors will open on the left
Southbound Line 4toward orOido(Sookmyung Women's Univ.)

History

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The former Seoul station,NamdaemunStation, started operating in a 33 m2(10 pyeong) wooden building in July 1900 with the extension of theGyeongin Linenorth of theHan River.TheGyeongbu Lineopened in 1905, and theGyeongui Lineopened in 1921 – both lines connecting to the station. The construction of the current "Old Seoul Station" began on June 1, 1922, and was finished on September 30, 1925.[12]In 1923, the station reverted to the name "Gyeongseong Station," when the name of the city ofSeoulchanged fromHanseongtoGyeongseong( "Keijō"in Japanese).

The station was renamed "Seoul Station" on November 1, 1947. The station was expanded throughout the post-Korean Warera; the Southern Annex of Seoul Station was completed on December 30, 1957, and the Western Annex was completed on February 14, 1969. In 1975, the Korea National Railroad's office moved from Seoul Station to the new West Annex office. A raised walkway connecting the Seoul Station and the West Annex was completed in 1977, and Korea's first privately funded station was erected in 1988 in time for theSeoul Olympics.In 2004, a new terminal adjacent to the existing one was completed to coincide with the introduction ofKTXhigh-speed rail service.[12]

Old Seoul Station

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Old Seoul Station
(Keijō Station)

구서울역사
Old Seoul Station, in 1924
General information
Other namesCulture Station Seoul 284
Location1 Tongil-ro, Bongnaedong 2(i)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul
Coordinates37°33′21″N126°58′18″E/ 37.5559°N 126.9716°E/37.5559; 126.9716(Old Seoul Station)
Operated byChōsen Government Railway(1925-1945)
Korea National Railroad(1945-1988)
History
OpenedSeptember 30, 1925
ClosedSeptember 12, 1988
Previous namesKeijō (Gyeongseong)
Seoul(1925-1988)

The old Seoul Station (Korean:구서울역사;Hanja:Cựu 서울 dịch xá,literally meaning "old Seoul Station building" ), also known as "Culture Station Seoul 284" (Korean:문화역서울 284), originally named Keijō (Gyeongseong) station and designed by Tsukamoto Yasushi ofTokyo Imperial University,was finished in November 1925. This red brick building, designed in aneclecticstyle, features a Byzantine-style central dome and a centralized and symmetrical layout.[13]The floor of the Central Hall on the ground floor was covered with granite and the walls were covered with man-made stone. The wooden floor inside the building's VIP Lounge was covered with birch wood and a western style restaurant was located on the 2nd floor.[12]

On September 25, 1981, the old station was designated as Historic Site 284.[12]A restoration project of the old station began in September 2007 to "transform the former Seoul Station, which had lost its functionality as a train station since the opening of the new KTX station, into a premier national multidisciplinary cultural facility". On the same year, the management was transferred from the Cultural Heritage Administration to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. After the design for former Seoul Station's remodeling was developed in 2009, the remodeling construction began.[14]

On August 9, 2011, the station was reopened as a culture complex with its original exterior, after a two-year restoration project by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the state-run Korea Craft and Design Foundation (KCDF).[15]On April 2, 2012, "Culture Seoul Station 284" was officially launched "as a space for diverse artistic and cultural creation and exchange". The official name, which combines the station's historic, spatial, and urban symbolisms, was selected through a national open call. By combining the notion of a cultural space with the old Seoul Station's historic site number 284, the name aims to embody the concepts of preserving its appearance and value as a historic site while simultaneously cultivating the meaning of the station as a place of various cultural intersections. The restored station is a 9,202m2building with two stories above ground and one story below ground level.[14]The former station, before the renovation, has the main lobby, a waiting room, and a VIP room on the first floor, and a barber shop and restaurants on the second floor. Post-renovation, the first floor contains a venue for performances, exhibitions and events, and a multipurpose hall on the floor above.[16]

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See also

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References

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  1. ^"KTX | Seoul to Busan, Daeju etc. Train | Reviews, Photos & Information".trainreview.com.Archived fromthe originalon October 14, 2020.RetrievedOctober 12,2020.
  2. ^"TrainReview's Guide to ITX-Saemaeul trains".
  3. ^"TrainReview's guide to Mugunghwa-ho trains".
  4. ^"TrainReview's guide to the DMZ train".
  5. ^"TrainReview's guide to the O-Train".
  6. ^"TrainReview's guide to the S-Train (Seoul - Yeosu)".TrainReview.
  7. ^"AREX Express | Seoul - Incheon Airport Train | Reviews, Photos & More".trainreview.com.RetrievedOctober 12,2020.
  8. ^"AREX All Stop | Seoul - Incheon Airport Train | Reviews, Photos & More".trainreview.com.RetrievedOctober 12,2020.
  9. ^"서울역 버스환승센터 - 회현동 - 36 tips".Foursquare.com.RetrievedSeptember 13,2018.
  10. ^Monthly Number of Passengers between General Railroad StationsArchivedOctober 8, 2014, at theWayback Machine.Korea Transportation Database, 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
  11. ^abcdMonthly Number of Passengers between Subway StationsArchivedOctober 6, 2014, at theWayback Machine.Korea Transportation Database, 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
  12. ^abcd"History".Culture Station 284. Archived fromthe originalon January 29, 2017.RetrievedAugust 10,2012.
  13. ^"서울역사 (Seoul Station Building)".Seoul Metropolitan Government.2003. Archived fromthe originalon August 16, 2004.RetrievedApril 26,2009.
  14. ^ab"Restoration Project".Culture Station 284. Archived fromthe originalon April 15, 2013.RetrievedAugust 10,2012.
  15. ^"Historic Seoul Station reopens".The Hankyoreh.August 10, 2011.RetrievedOctober 15,2011.
  16. ^"Old Seoul Station Gets New Lease of Life".The Chosun Ilbo.August 10, 2011.RetrievedJanuary 28,2013.
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