# Incheon Station

Incheon Station (Korean: 인천역; Hanja: 仁川驛; RR: Incheon-yeok) is the western terminus railway station of the Suin–Bundang and Gyeongin lines of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. The station is in the Bukseong neighborhood of the Jung District, Incheon, South Korea and is approximately 20 kilometers west of Seoul.$^{:115}$ Established in 1899 under the Korean Empire as Chemulpo Station (제물포역; 濟物浦驛), Incheon Station is the oldest train station in the Seoul Capital Area. During the Japanese occupation of Korea, the station was briefly named Hainchon Station (하인천역; 下仁川驛) and the original station building was destroyed during the Korean War. Service for the old Suin Line began in 1937 and ended in 1995; the new Suin Line (later merged as the Suin–Bundang Line) was extended to the station in 2016. Service for the Gyeongin Line began in 1974.

## History
### Construction

In 1896, Gojong of Korea gave the construction rights for a train line from Seoul to Jemulpo to American financier James R. Morse under the condition that it would be returned to the government in 15 years.$^{:118}$ In return, the Korean government provided government land and purchased privately owned land for Morse's company.$^{:288}$ This was done in an attempt to keep the station from being appropriated by the Empire of Japan.$^{:118}$ When construction for the railway began in 1897,$^{:288}$ the station was originally planned to be built in the Takpo (탁포) area, but complaints from local residents led the Korean government to instead reclaim tidal land by the Incheon port for the station.$^{:288}$ In 1899, the company ran out of funds and the rights to the station were sold to the Japanese Gyeongin Railway before construction was finished.
The station opened to the public on September 18, 1899$^{:118–119}$ under the name Chemulpo Station (제물포역; 濟物浦驛). The station was serviced by the Gyeongin Railway which operated trains from Incheon Station to Noryangjin station in Seoul; the completion of the Hangang Railway Bridge in July 1900 later expanded service to Seoul Station.$^{:278}$ The construction of the Gyeongin Railway and Incheon Station divided Incheon in half and limited development in the northern half of the city.$^{:289}$
Ownership over the station aided Japan during the 1904–5 Russo-Japanese War.$^{:119}$ In 1926, the Empire of Japan changed the station name to Hainchon Station (하인천역; 下仁川驛) because of the station's proximity to the Incheon Supervisory Office [ko]. On June 1, 1948, the station name was changed to Incheon Station. Incheon Station was destroyed during the Korean War, and a makeshift building was used until the opening of the current station building in September 1960. In 2011, the city temporarily rebranded the station as Incheon Station (Chinatown) (인천역(차이나타운)).

### Passenger rail service

In 1937, the Japanese Chosen Railway built the Suin Line to transport salt from the Sorae salt field [ko] in Incheon to Suwon. The narrow-gauge Suin Line operated until 1995, when the line was decommissioned to upgrade it into a standard-gauge railway. Incheon Station was connected to the expanded Suin Line in 2016 during the second of three stages of construction. The third stage of construction finished in 2020, merging the Suin Line with the Bundang Line into the Suin–Bundang Line and connecting Suwon to Incheon by rail for the first time in 25 years.
Service on the Seoul Subway Line 1 began in 1974, replacing Gyeongin Line services. Construction between 1991 and 2005 expanded the line to be double tracked.
Ridership has declined from an average of 20,000 daily riders in the 1970s to fewer than 10,000 daily riders in 2023.

### Other services

Freight rail service at Incheon Station ended in 2020 as a result of rising logistics costs and a greater focus on passenger rail service. Deliveries of bituminous coal were redirected to the northern Pohang Station.
On October 8, 2019, a connection was opened between Incheon Station and the Wolmi Sea Train tourist monorail. The city had previously spent 85 billion won in 2009 constructing a connection between the station to Wolmido island, but operations for the line were suspended due to faulty construction.

## Location

The station is adjacent to the Incheon Chinatown, which was founded by Chinese merchants who arrived in Incheon's port after it opened to foreign trade in 1883. The station is also adjacent to Freedom Park [ko], the Incheon Harbor, Wolmido island, and the Songwol-dong Fairy Tale Village.
Connecting bus services include Seoul blue bus routes 2, 10, 15, 28, and 45, Seoul yellow bus route 307, and Seoul green bus route Incheon e-Eum 1 serve the station.

## In popular culture

Incheon Station serves as the background of several shots in the 2001 South Korean romantic comedy film My Sassy Girl.

## Gallery

* Station interior
* Above-ground platform
* Underground platform