Paldang Station
|
|
---|---|
Korean name | |
Hangul | |
Hanja | |
Revised Romanization | Paldang-yeok |
McCune–Reischauer | P'altang-yŏk |
General information | |
Location | 399-7 Paldangni, 107 Paldangno, Wabu-eup, Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do |
Coordinates | 37°32′53.78″N 127°14′38.35″E / 37.5482722°N 127.2439861°ECoordinates: 37°32′53.78″N 127°14′38.35″E / 37.5482722°N 127.2439861°E |
Operated by | Korail |
Line(s) | Gyeongui–Jungang Line |
Platforms | 2 |
Tracks | 4 |
Construction | |
Structure type | Aboveground |
Key dates | |
April 1, 1939 | Gyeongui–Jungang Line opened |
Paldang Station (Korean pronunciation: [pʰalt͈aŋ]) is a station on the Jungang Line, located in the city of Namyangju by the northern banks of the Han River. Although it is one of the older train stations in Korea (built prior to the 1945 liberation), the area around the station is not developed to a great degree, and only a few passenger trains stop at the station every day.
The old station is well preserved, and is one of the best surviving examples of the architectural style of Japanese occupation era. The blue roof is typical of early train stations in Korea, and for this reason, it was recently designated as a national cultural asset. The old station building is currently juxtaposed to the newly renovated station (completed in 2007), and is a striking example of how Korean railroads have evolved so rapidly over a relatively short period of time.
Many residents near the station commute to Seoul daily, but the infrequent passenger train service previously rendered the area much more isolated than it should have been. Because of this problem, residents urged local politicians and Ministry of Construction for reducing inconvenience. In response to these complaints, Dosim & Paldang Stations were incorporated into the Jungang Line commuter rail system earlier than originally planned. The opening of this service has reduced commute times by over 30 minutes.