Korea Rail Network Authority Donates Accessories of 116-Year-Old Gyeongin Line Anchuncheon Bridge to Railway Museum

Two bridge decks of the Gyeongin Line Anchuncheon Bridge donated to the Railroad Museum. Provided by Korea Rail Network Authority

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The Korea Rail Network Authority announced on the 7th that it held a donation ceremony to deliver two bridge decks of the Inchuncheon Bridge on the Gyeongin Line, which has connected Seoul and Incheon for 116 years, along with 45 accessories including rails and sleepers, to the Railroad Museum.

The Inchuncheon Bridge was located on the Noryangjin?Jemulpo section, which was the first railway section opened in Korea in 1899. The bridge was originally constructed with wood at the time of opening, but was reconstructed with steel in 1906 and operated trains for over 100 years. It was dismantled last year after the completion of concrete improvement work. The donated bridge decks and other parts were collected during the dismantling process.

In particular, one of the two donated Inchuncheon Bridge decks, the Sang1 Line steel bridge, was installed during the Gyeongin Line track improvement project in 1906 during the Korean Empire period and is considered the oldest existing steel bridge.

The Korea Rail Network Authority explained that this deck has significant historical value as the completion date and construction company are clearly recorded, allowing insight into the architectural style and technology of the time, thus possessing preservation value.

Kim Han-young, Director of the Korea Rail Network Authority (fourth from the left), is holding a donation ceremony for the Anchuncheon Bridge deck at the Uiwang Railroad Museum on the 7th, together with Na Hee-seung, President of Korea Railroad Corporation (fifth from the left), and others. Photo by Korea Rail Network Authority

The other deck, the Sang2 Line steel bridge, is also historically significant and symbolic as an early bridge purely manufactured with domestic technology in 1976, preserving post-liberation bridge technology.

The Korea Rail Network Authority expects that by preserving railway structures completed in the modern era that carry many memories, it will be possible to re-examine the history of railroads and enhance their value as cultural heritage.

Kim Han-young, Director of the Korea Rail Network Authority, said, “The Inchuncheon Bridge decks have connected Seoul and Incheon for 116 years and now have moved to the Railroad Museum to convey the long history of railroads. We hope the donated artifacts will be well preserved and used to research railroad history and re-evaluate their value.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.