Trans-Korean Main Line
{{Short description|Railway line project in North Korea and South Korea}}
{{Main|Transport in North Korea#Railways}}
The Trans-Korean Main Line is a project to build railway infrastructure in North Korea, and allow rail freight to travel between South Korea and Russia; it is hoped to halve the time taken to transport freight from eastern Asia to Europe{{cite web|url=http://www.cctst.msk.ru/en/index.news.05102008.html
|accessdate=2010-10-30
|title=Russian Railways begins reconstruction of Trans-Korean Main Line : Coordinating Council on Transsiberian Transportation
}} and earn substantial transit fees.{{cite web|url=http://www.carlisle.army.mil/usawc/parameters/Articles/09summer/bauer.pdf
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100607225605/http://www.carlisle.army.mil/USAWC/Parameters/Articles/09summer/bauer.pdf
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=June 7, 2010
|title=Unlocking Russian Interests on the Korean Peninsula
|accessdate=2010-10-30
|date=2009-07-15
}}
In 2001, the leaders of Russia and North Korea signed agreements to construct a rail corridor.{{cite web|url=http://eng.rzd.ru/isvp/public/rzdeng?STRUCTURE_ID=89|accessdate=2010-10-30|title=Trans-Korean Main Line|date=2010-10-30}}
Construction
In 2008, reconstruction work began on a 54 km cross-border rail link between Khasan in Russia, and the port of Rasŏn, via Tumangang both in North Korea;{{cite web
|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/rajin-port-accord.html
|accessdate=2010-10-30
|title=Railway Gazette: Rajin port accord
|archive-date=2011-06-15
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615191459/http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/rajin-port-accord.html
|url-status=dead
}} Russian Railways sees this as a first step in construction of a trans-Korean main line.{{cite web
|url = http://rtdr.org/corporate-statement/trans-korean_main_line_investment_in_the_future.html
|archive-url = https://archive.today/20110227111131/http://rtdr.org/corporate-statement/trans-korean_main_line_investment_in_the_future.html
|url-status = dead
|archive-date = 2011-02-27
|accessdate = 2010-10-30
|title = Trans-Korean Main Line – Investment in the Future
|work = Russian Transport Daily Report
|date = 2010-10-29
}} Initially freight is expected to be forwarded by sea from South Korea's second city Busan to Rasŏn; there are also plans to reconstruct a line from Rasŏn to the Chinese border.{{cite web
|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/trans-korean-reconstruction-begins.html
|accessdate=2010-10-30
|title=Railway Gazette: Trans-Korean reconstruction begins
|archive-date=2011-06-15
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615191714/http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/trans-korean-reconstruction-begins.html
|url-status=dead
}} Further plans are to extend the line along the east coast of the Korean peninsula, across the North/South Korean border to Busan.{{cite web|url=http://oldsite.nautilus.org/archives/energy/grid/2002Workshop/materials/DYNKIN.PDF
|title=Comments on the Regional Railroad Network and Power Grid Interconnection
|accessdate=2010-10-30
|date=2007-04-12
}} A line between Onjong-ri and Jojin would be rebuilt.{{cite web|url=http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/north-south-korea/
|accessdate=2010-10-30
|title=North Korea-South Korea Railway – Railway Technology
}}