'Reopening of Pohang Yeongilman Port Rail Link Signals Recovery in Cargo Volume'

Imported Wood Pellets from Southeast Asia Delivered to Thermal Power Plants

Operated 3 Times a Week, Plan to Expand to 5 Times from March

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Pohang City resumed operation of the ‘Pohang Yeongilman Port Inbound Railway,’ which had been suspended for a year and a half, starting from the 16th.

The ‘Pohang Yeongilman Port Inbound Railway’ began commercial operation in July 2020 but was suspended in May 2021 due to a decrease in rail freight volume caused by the impact of COVID-19.

Inbound railway passing through Pohang Yeongilmanhang Station.

An ‘inbound railway’ is a rail logistics transport network that directly connects ports capable of cargo import and export with railways. The Pohang Yeongilman Port Inbound Railway is an 11.3 km single-track railway connecting Pohang Station and Yeongilman Port Station. It was opened in November 2019 with a national budget investment of 169.6 billion KRW.

The cargo transported via the Yeongilman Port Inbound Railway consists of wood pellets imported from Southeast Asia. These wood pellets are loaded at Yeongilman Port Station and delivered to thermal power plants in the Gangwon region using the Jungang Line.

The Yeongilman Port Inbound Railway initially operated three times a week and plans to expand to five times a week starting in March. Each transport run carries 38 TEU (19 cars), with an average monthly transport volume of 760 TEU.

Yoo Hoseong, Director of the Marine and Port Division, stated, “Despite the decrease in cargo volume due to COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war, the resumption of this inbound railway operation is expected to be a signal for the recovery of cargo volume at Yeongilman Port.” He added, “Together with the Pohang Regional Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Office, we will continue to develop port infrastructure such as the development and leasing of the Yeongilman Port hinterland complex and the construction of an international passenger terminal.”

Last year, Pohang City attracted export used car cargo volume to replace the Japanese Mazda automobile KD (Knock Down: a method of exporting parts to be assembled locally) cargo volume that was suspended due to the Russia-Ukraine war. The city is also promoting the opening of new container routes and conducting business consultations with related shipping companies and logistics firms to attract new cargo volume.