Yangpyeong Tunnel Hopping
The Hangang Bike Path follows a retired rail route in Yangpyeong County (양평군; map) just east of Seoul. The section of the cycling path includes nine retrofitted rail tunnels.
Let’s explore them!
History
In 2008, rail engineers electrified the trains on the Gyeongui–Jungang Line (경의·중앙선; map), a commuter train on Seoul’s subway network.
These new trains needed overhead wires and gates. In Seoul, where space doesn’t come cheap, engineers needed to remodel the infrastructure around the existing rail line.
Outside of Seoul, however, engineers bought up new land, bored tunnels, and laid new rail between Yangsu Station (양수역; map) and Asin Station (아신역; map).
What happened to the old tracks? The Hangang Bike Path.
The bike path’s designers removed the old train tracks and put down a cycling road on its bed. (You can still see bits of the old track along the bike path.)
Designers also retrofitted old features along the rail line like Neungnae Station, Bukhangang Railroad Bridge, and nine train tunnels once used by Gyeongui–Jungang trains.
Tunnel Totals
Below, check out the complete list of converted tunnels on the Hangang Bike Path.
- Bongan Tunnel (봉안터널; map; 290 m)
- Yongdam Art Tunnel (용담아트터널; map; 441 m)
- Buyong Tunnel 4 (부용4터널; map; 240 m)
- Buyong Tunnel 3 (부용3터널; map; 280 m)
- Buyong Tunnel 2 (부용2터널; map; 195 m)
- Buyong Tunnel 1 (부용1터널; map; 115 m)
- Dogok Tunnel (도곡터널; map; 190 m)
- Wonbok Tunnel (원복터널; map; 265 m)
- Gigok Art Tunnel (기곡아트터널; map; 565 m)
Art Tunnels
Most of the tunnels along the rail-line-turned-bike-path measure between 115 to 280-meters. They pass through hillsides in short bursts, cooling cyclists in summer and warming them winter.
However, the second and last tunnel — Yongdam and Gigok — span about half-a-kilometer each. Some proposed that Yangpyeong County transform these underground stretches into bike museums and art spaces. But lack of time and money halted fantastical plans.
Designers instead turned Yongdam and Gigok into “art tunnels” by embedding colorful LEDs and light fixtures into their walls (which may or may not work).
Asin Gallery (아신갤러리; map), an old Mugunghwa train transformed into an art gallery, hangs out on the east side of Gigok Art Tunnel. Dozens of sculptures and other installations fill up the space between the gallery and tunnel.
