Starting the Blue Line Park Beach Train at Songjeong: When the Far End Is the Better Start

Most people board Haeundae's beach train at Mipo, the end nearest the subway, and for most trips that's the right call. But the train runs in both directions, and Songjeong, the stop at the other end of the line, is a full station with its own ticket office. For some days it's the smarter place to begin. This post covers when to start there, how to reach the stop without a car, and the name mix-up that sends people to the wrong Songjeong.

The Haeundae Beach Train stopped at a Blue Line Park platform with people walking along the deck

The line, read from the Songjeong end

Blue Line Park reuses 4.8 km of the old Donghae Nambu railway between Mipo, Cheongsapo and Songjeong. Visit Busan describes the beach train as a round-trip service along that whole stretch. Its main stops are Mipo, Dalmaji Tunnel, Cheongsapo, Daritdol Observatory, Gudeokpo and Songjeong. Starting at Songjeong just means reading that list from the bottom up.

Three of those stops are main stations with ticket offices: Mipo, Cheongsapo and Songjeong. Visit Busan adds that any stop with a ticket machine can sell you a ticket. So the east end costs you nothing at the ticket window.

One detail makes the direction matter less than you'd think. According to Visit Busan's Green Railway page, every seat on the train faces the sea. Ride east or ride west, the water stays on your side of the carriage.

My Blue Line Park guide has the fares and the rules on single and multi-ride tickets. I'm leaving the numbers out of this post on purpose, since they're the part most likely to change.

Why start at Songjeong at all

The best reason is how the day ends. Start at Mipo and ride the full line, and you finish at Songjeong, which has no Line 2 station. Start at Songjeong instead, and the train delivers you to Mipo at the eastern edge of Haeundae Beach. From there, Visit Busan puts Jung-dong station on Line 2 at 18 minutes on foot.

Put simply, the awkward leg comes first while you're fresh, and the easy leg comes last. That order suits any day with a fixed finish, like a dinner booking or a train to catch.

The second reason is a morning that's already on the east side. Visit Busan's Songjeong Beach page suggests pairing the beach with Haedong Yonggungsa and the Fisheries Science Museum, both close by. If that's your plan, the train turns into a scenic way back toward Haeundae rather than a separate outing. Getting to the temple has its own post.

The third reason is the beach itself. Visit Busan describes Songjeong as shallow with a gentle slope, which is why families like it. At the far end sits Jukdo Park, named for the bamboo that grows there. A pavilion on the headland, Songiljeong, is known as a spot for both sunrise and sunset. An hour there before your train is a calm way to open the day.

Songjeong Beach seen from above, with a small wooded headland at the end of the sand

The case against

Line 2 ends in the east at Jangsan and never reaches Songjeong, so getting there means a bus, the Donghae Line commuter railway or a taxi. Each of those takes more planning than the walk to Mipo. With small children or bags, that extra leg can easily become the part of the day nobody enjoys.

The Sky Capsule doesn't come here either. It only covers the 2 km between Mipo and Cheongsapo. If the capsule is the main event, starting at Songjeong means taking the train to Cheongsapo first and boarding there. That does work, though my post on where to start the Sky Capsule explains why Mipo remains my pick when the capsule matters most.

So here's my side: if you're coming from Centum City or Haeundae only for the train, start at Mipo. If you're already out east, or you want the day to end on Haeundae Beach, start at Songjeong.

Getting to the Songjeong stop without a car

Visit Busan lists three public transport routes to Songjeong Beach.

  • Line 2 to Haeundae station, then bus 38, 39, 40, 63, 139, 182, 200, 1001, 1003 or 1011 from the Haeundae stop. Get off at the Songjeong Beach entrance and walk 12 minutes.
  • Bus 38, 39, 40, 63, 100, 100-1, 139, 141, 181, 182, 185 or 200 to the Songjeong 1-danji Jugong stop.
  • The Donghae Line to Songjeong station, then a 17-minute walk.

Those times end at the beach, which sits at 62 Songjeonghaebyeon-ro. The beach train stop has a different address — 299-20 Songjeong-dong. Put that one into your map, or you may reach the sand and still have a platform to find.

About maps, I'll be direct: Google Maps doesn't handle directions well in Korea, so guests who trust it tend to wander. I send everyone to Naver Map or Kakao Map instead, with the Korean address pasted in. For this stop, that's 송정동 299-20.

One more snag waits before any of this. Foreign guests get stuck at the subway gate when their overseas bank card won't open it. My guide to transit cards explains the fix.

The coast between Cheongsapo and Gudeokpo, with village rooftops and the open sea

Two Songjeongs, and a third on the map

This is where trips go sideways. The Donghae Line has a station named Songjeong, and the beach train's end stop is called Songjeong too, but they aren't the same place. Since the two share a name, guests regularly step off at the wrong one.

Visit Busan's Green Railway map adds another. Along the full length of the former line, it marks an old Songjeong station as a separate point. You won't need it for the train, but it's one more reason to navigate by address rather than by name.

Before you board any bus or train, check which Songjeong your app has chosen. My Songjeong Beach post covers the beach and its surf scene. The Mipo route post deals with the same name problem from the other end of the line.

Walking instead of riding

Alongside the track, the Green Railway boardwalk covers the same ground from Mipo to Songjeong, laid as wooden decking end to end. It costs nothing, and Visit Busan shows it open every day of the year with no closing time. It also mentions rest spots along the route, so you can sit down, look at the sea and keep going.

The choice is the usual one: the train suits people who'd rather sit or can't walk far, and the boardwalk suits people who came for the view and have a few hours. You don't have to pick only one — ride one stretch and walk the next.

The beach train passing through the arched Dalmaji Tunnel on the Blue Line Park line

My answer

Start at Mipo if the train is the whole outing and you're coming from the city side. Start at Songjeong if you're already east of Dalmaji, or if you want to finish on Haeundae Beach with Line 2 within walking distance. Whichever end you choose, enter 299-20 Songjeong-dong in Naver Map or Kakao Map instead of searching for the station name. That one habit takes care of the wrong Songjeong.

If you'd like a base in Centum City with Line 2 close by, you can book with me directly at korea-busan.com.

Facts checked on 2 October 2026. Line 2 stations: Busan Transportation Corporation (humetro.busan.kr). Blue Line Park stations, addresses, ticket offices and seating, the Green Railway, Mipo walking time and Songjeong Beach transport: Visit Busan (visitbusan.net). Photo: Busan Tourism Archive (visitbusan.net), KOGL Type 1

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