Donghae and Gyeongui Railways Are Linked.

The disconnected cross-border railways over 50 years which re-link Donghae railway and Gyeongui railway were joined on Saturday morning at the northern and eastern Military Demarcation Lines (MDL) respectively near the border village of Panmunjeom.

The ceremony

At the event, some fifty railway staff, organizing staff members, and reporters witnessed of joining and fixing of the 25 meter section along North Korea to South Korea of the rail lines at the MDL.

The construction of the Donghae railway and Gyeongui railway within the DML are scheduled to be finished September and December respectively but actual railway operations will take more time. It is because North Korea has not yet completed 13.1kms of track laying work of the Gyeongui line between the Gaesong station and DML; so far 2.2kms has been finished while South Korea has completed its part. In addition, as for the Donghae lines, South Korea and North Korea have only finished the 100 meter and 200 meter sections of track laying work.

Seung-Ryun Kim srkim@donga.com