Neungnae Station
Neungnae Station (능내역; map) is a decommissioned train station on a disused section of the Gyeongui–Jungang Line (경의·중앙선; map), one of Seoul’s commuter rail lines.
The station sits on a teardrop bit of land east of the capital near Yangpyeong Dumulmeori and Bukhangang Railroad Bridge on the Han River.
Neungnae Station Then
Neungnae Station began as a small stop along the Gyeongui-Jungang Line in 1956. The station was a popular destination for Seoul residents escaping the ever-expanding metropolis. They’d hop a train to Neungnae and lounge at nearby beaches on the Han River.
However, Paldang Dam (팔당댐; map) drowned the river’s sandy shores near when it opened in 1973. Because the train station never served a major town, train operators downgraded the station when the tourists dried up.
Then in 2008, rail engineers electrified the Gyeongui-Jungang Line’s trains. To accommodate the new trains’ overhead wires and gates, they laid a whole new section of tracks, avoiding the narrow tunnels and tight turns around Neungnae Station.
Neungnae Station Now
Neungnae Station permanently closed in 2008, replaced by Ungilsan Station (운길산역; map) a few kilometers north.
However, in 2012, the Hangang Bike Path’s workers retrofitted the old train tunnels and removed the abandoned train tracks near Neungnae Station. Then they installed a cycling path rail route’s bed and transformed Neungnae Station into a cyclers paradise.
Today, cycle the path by Neungnae Station and discover:
- Rows of bike racks filled with bicycles.
- Picnic tables with shady umbrellas sitting on train tracks (road view).
- Noodle shops and hot dog stands selling quick bites beside the rails.
- An abandoned train car painted with bikes and fitted with tables (road view).
- A rental shop lending bikes for ₩3,000 to ₩4,000.
Step inside Neungnae Station’s ticket office and waiting room and find it filled with museum blurbs, period kitsch, and polaroids from the station’s heyday.
The Neungnae Station Certification Center (능내역 인증센터; map) perches on the west end of Neungnae Station (road view) to stamp your Bike Passport.
