DEVELOPMENT AND PLANS FOR NORTH KOREAN TRANSPORTATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600340091-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 16, 2011
• Sequence Number: 91
• Publication Date: August 29, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/17: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600340091-3
LII I Ih . i
Gui~r~u
CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD NO.
COUNTRY North Korea
SUBJECT Economic - Transportation
HOW
PUBLISHED Monthly periodical
WHERE
PUBLISHED Pyongyang
DATE
PUBLISHED 1 Jul 1949
LANGUAGE Korean
!XFO 07 THICU UNIITIDD ATATII WITHIN ATNN NA?FICT ,ANINIO 0? IIPIONAII DACTN NO 112
U. 1. C.. II AND NI. AA ANINDID. ITI TNANIII IIION ON TNI AIVILATION
0 ANY IIANNIR TO AN NI JITID ITT'AN. 1% II I0D0CT ON 01 THIN PONN IINI PNONIIITIO. II PIO?
Sunken T'ongsin
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
'THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
DEVELOPMENT AND PLANS FOR NORTH KOREAN TRANSPORTATION
The railway oystem of North Korea, constructed by the Japanese, with ma-
terials technicians
liat~ly
cult es after Korea'sliberation. a Thetwientirely by thdrawal Japaneseserious
brought about an acute shortage of technicians. The creation of the 38th Par-
allel also deprived North Korea of locomotives, cars, and other equipment, as
these items were concentrated mainly in South Korea at the time of the coun-
try's division. The destruction of important tunnels, bridges, rolling stock,
rails, and other railway installations by the Japanese before their withdrawal
further aggravated the situation. Consequently, a complete restoration of the
railway system was the major task in the economic rehabilitation of North Korea
following the liberation.
Railway freight shipments for 1948, when the Two-Year People's Economic
Program for 1947-48 was completed, amounted to 16,..08,1100 tons, an increase of
41.5 percent over 1947 shipments. During'thiu period, the Yangdok-Ch'ousong
section on the P'yong-Won LF-'yongyang-KowoJ Line, and the Kaego-Koin section
on the Manp'o Line, which originates in Manp'ojin, P'yongan Pukto, were con-
verted into electric railways. Before conversion, eight trips z. day were the
maximum on the Yangdok-Ch'onsong Line because of steep inclines in this sector.
After conversion, as many as 17 trips could be made on this line. The amount
of freight carried on the Kaego-Xoin Line has tripled since the conversion.
The total railway freight for 1950 is expected to be 10 million tons,
which surpasses the all-time record for Korea reached in 1940 when the Japanese
transported enormous amounts of raw materials and military supplies through and
within Korea.
The above goal is expected to be attained through capacity utilization of
ilities
existing railway fac
. ? tnumbe7
um
average daily carloads to 1,588 carloads in 1949 and 1,906 in 1950; the
in e to 11 in 1 ----- -
of 1reigLLt c_. w,,,-I - hauling distances to 3,407 million kilometers in 1949 and 4,158 million kilo-
a lwa
_ - . - .. -- __ ----- -a
eration will be
o
-
y
p
sel-eru In s,y=)v, to a -~...., -_ --
improved, the unit load increased, back-tracking avoided, idling time minimized,
CDNElDEVIAL
CLASSIFICATION CONFID.'+NTIAL
I VI NSRB. I 7Z7 - DISTRIBUTION
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totjg~la
obtained scheduling and dispatc._ing improved, and additional locomotives) loco ned. It
is estimated that the railway n!aintenanceshops iwill repair
air, 901rlog oti; and
and the railway districts Crepair shopi, 10,555 d
1,048 and 12,669 locomotives respectively during 1950. The railway maintenance
shops are also expected to overhaul or recondition 65 obsolete locomotives dur-
ing 1949-50.
bealso
will will
A considerablemumber
or thefrabasic ilwayconstruction
facilities. projects
at least22r
outsn during ro49je5 Rail-
outstandinng projects, including the construction of the West Pyongyang
way Plant, the Wcnsan Railway Plant., Kaech'on (coal mine in P'yongan Namdo)
Wide-Gauge Line, Kowon (coal.miue in Hamgyong Namdo) Line, and Kanggye (P'yon-were gan Pukto) Cable Railway. Of these, the first two projectstwere sta tedsinre
1948, and are expected to be completed in 1951.
scheduled to be completed in 1949.
The West Pyongyang Railway Plant will be equipped with a foundry, loco-
motive, passenger-car, and freight-car manufacturing plant, and a smithery.
The foundry has been in operation since April 1949. The construction of the
passenger- and freight-car manufacturing plant is scheduled for completion
in July 1949.
The operation of the locomotive workshop at the Wonsan Railway Plant has
been started, while the expansion of the passenger-car and freight-car plants,
parts manufacturing plant, and the foundry is under progress. When the in-
marufacturing facilities are 1950, the
freightscarsa,i dy
Plata will s start the
all other railway equipm_at and parts in large quantities.
The Kaech'on Wide-Gauge Line expects to open its Anju-Yonghung section
on 1 July 1949, and tL. line's entire distance of 29.3 kilometers by 1 August
1949. When completed, this line will link the Pyongyang-Sinuiju Line and
Pyongyang-Manp'ojin Line, cutting the distance between Kaech'on and Anju in
half and eliminating the detour via Pyongyang. The opening of the Kaech'on-
Anju Line will also help to facilitate the Anju irrigation project.
The improvement of the Kanggye Cable Railway Line is expected to be com-
pleted in 1949. The many instances of long, 37-degree gradients, the many
sharp curves, and the weak foundation of the roadbed have
the transport capacity of this line. Consequently, the ea
adaattions
has been increased to 140 percent, the roadbed reinforced, and the gradations
minimized. This line is an indispensable link between Chagang
east coasts.
The government ordered construction of the Kowon Line to facilitate trans-
port of anthracite coal from the Kowon mine. The work was begun in March 1949
and is expected to be completed by January 1950.Plans are being pushed the construction of bridges over Chaeryong Gang and the Hongi
Do, and for the installation of additional yard tracks at Myongch'on, Odaejin,
and Komusan in Hamgyong Pukto on the east co1st7~7liine.woThee government
tr as
appropriated 908 million von for 1949, and
basic improvement of the railway system under the Two-Year Program.
In conjunction with railway transportation, highway and water transporta-
tion is also improving. The total mot,r-truck freight for 1949 Isato imated
at7 1,216,000 tons. This amount is erected to increase to 1,997,000
1950. A sum of 288,502,000 won has been earmarked for basic improvement of
ort for 1949 will amount to 714,400 tons festimate7,
t
ransp
The total marine
which is expected to increase to 1,244,700 tons in 1950. Under the Two-Year
Program, the government will purchase and construct new vessels and expand the
ports of Hungnam, Wonsan, Ch'ongjin, Najin, Tanch'on on the east coast and
CONFIDENTIAL
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001VI?ENl" U'
Chinnamp'o on the west coast, in order to facilitate transport of goods to
and from democratic countries in Asia, southeastern Europe, and the USSR, with
which North Korea has concluded economic and cultural exchange pacts. Accord-
ingly, all the shipyards under the supervision of the Bureau of'Marine Trans-
port Control are building iron-hull vessels and sailing boats, while thepro-
vincial'authorities are hastening expansion, improveAentt, and construction
for
harbor facilities. A total of 88,304,000 won for 1949 and 1950 were allocated for the general development of marine transportation.
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CONFIARL1TIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
Approved for Release 2011/08/17: CIA-RDP8O-00809AO00600340091-3