満鮮国境の図們は日本軍の軍需物資集積地で、図們駅の警護には独立鉄道第三十大隊があたっていた。終戦直前で戦局は日本軍に決定的に不利、関東軍の運命がソ連軍の出方にかかっていた時で、大隊は抗日ゲリラに悩まされていた。有坂少尉が大隊に転属してきた時は、ちょうどソ連軍が図們を攻めてきた時であった。図們は最前線になったのである。大隊長黒丸は有坂に札つきの工藤分隊を任せ、本隊は北朝鮮に撤退することに決めた。しかも、戦闘のどさくさにまぎれて脱走した岡の捜索と、奪われた武器の奪回も有坂に命じたのだ。有坂はこれを平然と受け、岡の捜索にかかった。岡はゲリラに射たれ、女医の倉吉麻美の所にいた。岡は重態だった。有坂は手術の経験のない麻美を力づけ、岡を助けようとしたがゲリラの跳梁が激しいので、一まず駅舎へ連れ帰った。その有坂を待っていたのは、日本降伏のニュースである。彼は避難民と兵隊の輸送のため、八月十八日午後八時までこの鉄道を守らなければならない。日増しに激しさを加えるゲリラの攻撃、そして逃亡者が相次いだ。やがて、あと三十時間以内に出発しなければ、清津を出る最後の輸送船に間に合わないという日、隣の駅を出た最後の南下列車がゲリラに爆破されてしまった。窮余の一策、有坂は構内に放置されたままの機関車に目をつけ、経験のある工藤に修理をさせたのだが、その材料のために武器を犠牲にしなければならなかった。しかしゲリラに捕まって有坂に救出された麻美が岡の手術に成功、その岡の口からゲリラが古機関車に武器を隠していることが分った。ゲリラがこの小さな駅を攻撃してくるわけを知った有坂はその武器で応戦、やがて、機関車の修理も終った。その上に乗った有坂の機関銃から火が吐く。そして列車は一路清津に向って驀進を続ける……。
Tumen, on the Manchuria-Korea border, was a Japanese military supply depot, and the 30th Independent Railway Battalion was tasked with guarding Tumen Station. Just before the end of the war, the situation was turning decidedly unfavorable for the Japanese. The fate of the Kwantung Army depended on the actions of the Soviet Army, and the battalion was plagued by anti-Japanese guerrillas. Lieutenant Arisaka was transferred to the battalion just as the Soviet Army was attacking Tumen, which had become the front line. Battalion Commander Kuromaru entrusted Arisaka with the infamous Kudo Squad, and decided to withdraw the main unit to North Korea. He also ordered Arisaka to search for Oka, who had escaped in the confusion of the fighting, and to recover the stolen weapons. Arisaka calmly accepted the order and began searching for Oka. Oka had been shot by a guerrilla and was staying with female doctor Kurayoshi Asami. Oka was in critical condition. Arisaka encouraged Asami, who had no surgical experience, and tried to help Oka, but the guerrillas were rampant, so he took him back to the station. There, news of Japan's surrender awaited Arisaka. He was tasked with guarding the railway until 8:00 PM on August 18th to transport refugees and soldiers. Guerrilla attacks intensified day by day, and fugitives continued to flee. Finally, on a day when they needed to depart within 30 hours to catch the last transport ship leaving Chongjin, the last southbound train leaving the neighboring station was blown up by guerrillas. As a last resort, Arisaka set his sights on an abandoned locomotive on the premises and had the experienced Kudo repair it, but he had to sacrifice his weapons to obtain the necessary materials. However, after being captured by the guerrillas and rescued by Arisaka, Asami successfully performed surgery on Oka, revealing from Oka that the guerrillas had hidden weapons in the old locomotive. Arisaka, realizing why the guerrillas were attacking this small station, fights back with his weapon, and eventually repairs to the locomotive are completed. Arisaka's machine gun fires from atop the locomotive. The train then continues its relentless march toward Chongjin...
