京 is Beijing and
汉 is
汉口, now part of Wuhan. The line was built with Belgian loans and opened in 1906; it was first called
卢汉 after its northern end at
卢沟桥. It crossed the
正太 line at
石家庄, and in 1957, when the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge opened, it was joined to the
粤汉 line to form the
京广 railway.