'Hanam~Songpa' Urban Railway Scheduled for Completion in 2028... Access to Gangnam Within 30 Minutes

Hanam Gyosan District and Gwacheon District Metropolitan Traffic Improvement Plan Confirmed
Seoul City and Gyeonggi Province Complete Consultations to Accelerate Project
30-Minute Commute from Songpa to Hanam to Gangnam Station Once Urban Railway Opens
Specific Station Locations to Be Decided Later Through Local Government Consultations
Railway, BRT, and Transfer Center Expansion Planned for Gwacheon District

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] The urban railway connecting Gyeonggi-do Hanam Gyosan District, designated as the 3rd phase new town, and Seoul Songpa-gu is being promoted with the goal of completion in 2028.

Additionally, railroads and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems will be significantly expanded in Gwacheon District, Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-do. If these measures are implemented, both locations will be accessible within 30 minutes to Seoul's Gangnam area.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 21st that it has finalized the metropolitan transportation improvement plans for Hanam Gyosan District (32,000 households) and Gwacheon District (7,000 households).

These measures were prepared to improve the accessibility of the new towns to Seoul and to resolve congested traffic sections. The total budget the government plans to invest in these measures amounts to 2.74 trillion KRW.

Hanam Gyosan District Metropolitan Traffic Improvement Plan (Photo by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)

First, the core project for Hanam Gyosan District is to promote the 'Songpa-Hanam' urban railway connecting Hanam and major Seoul metropolitan areas such as Songpa-gu, aiming for completion in 2028.

The total length is 12 km, and 1.5401 trillion KRW out of the 2 trillion KRW budget allocated for the metropolitan transportation improvement plan for Hanam Gyosan District will be invested. Specific sections and station locations within the section have not yet been decided.

Initially, a plan to connect to Ogeum Station on Seoul Subway Line 3 was considered, but since Ogeum Station is located on the outskirts of Seoul, a plan to build a subway station toward the Gangnam area to improve accessibility to Gangnam is also under review.

An official from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport explained, "By the end of this month, a consultative body involving the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Seoul City, Gyeonggi Province, and Hanam City will be formed to promptly decide on station locations."

Also, to enable fast movement between Hanam and Seoul using public transportation, a bus-only lane will be installed on the Dongnam-ro connecting road, and a 'Cheonho-Hanam' BRT will be introduced to the transfer hub within the district, to be operated in conjunction with the bus-only lane.

In particular, transfer facilities will be installed near BRT stops and railway stations to provide convenient transfer services among various modes of transportation such as metropolitan buses, branch buses, and bus-rail-Personal Mobility (PM).

Transfer facilities will also be installed at Seoul Central Veterans Hospital Station to increase public transportation usage, and a comprehensive transfer facility enabling transfers among express, metropolitan, intercity, and city buses will be constructed at Hanam Dream Rest Area on the northern side of the district.

To alleviate congested traffic conditions, National Road No. 43 will be expanded and improved, and new roads such as 'Hwangsan-Choi' and 'Gamil-Gogol' will be constructed. The Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway will also be partially expanded, and a connecting road north of Choi IC will be newly built. The government will invest 2 trillion KRW in a total of 20 projects.

Gwacheon District Metropolitan Traffic Improvement Plan (Photo by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)

In the case of Gwacheon District, the 'Wirye-Gwacheon Line' (Bokjeong Station to Gyeongma Park Station), which currently only reflects up to Gyeongma Park Station on Seoul Subway Line 4, will be extended to Government Complex Gwacheon Station.

A BRT connecting Seoul Sadang Station and Anyang will be installed, and a transfer facility will be created in Gwacheon District to improve mobility from Gwacheon District to Seoul Gangnam and the southern metropolitan area.

Additionally, to disperse traffic volume in habitual congestion areas, the urban expressway between Gwacheon and Umyeonsan will be undergrounded (from Sangabeol Underpass to Seonam IC), and the Sangabeol Underpass will be expanded from 4 lanes to 6 lanes.

The total budget the government will invest in 10 projects including the extension of the 'Wirye-Gwacheon Line' is 740 billion KRW.

Hanam Starfield

If these metropolitan transportation improvement plans are implemented, the travel time from Hanam Gyosan District, which previously took about 50 minutes to Jamsil and 65 minutes to Gangnam Station, is expected to be reduced to 20 minutes to Jamsil and 30 minutes to Gangnam Station.

Gwacheon District will be able to access major downtown areas including Seoul Gangnam within 20 minutes via rail and bus public transportation.

A notable feature of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's metropolitan transportation improvement plan is that it was announced after some degree of consultation with relevant local governments such as Seoul City, Gyeonggi Province, and Hanam City. In the case of the 1st and 2nd phase new towns, the government often announced transportation network expansion plans first and then started consultations with local governments, which frequently caused conflicts or delays during the project process.

An official from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport analyzed, "Previously, administrative districts were decided mainly by the central government, causing disagreements with local areas and delaying construction starts. In the case of Hanam Gyosan District, since opinions were coordinated with Seoul City, Gyeonggi Province, and Hanam City, permits and construction will proceed faster after the plan is finalized."

In fact, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to complete road improvement projects before residents move into Hanam Gyosan District. However, since the construction period for the 'Songpa-Hanam' urban railway is long, it will be difficult to open before residents move in. Considering this, metropolitan buses will be operated to minimize inconvenience to residents until completion.

An official from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said, "In the past, new towns were criticized for lacking complete transportation measures even after relocation, causing inconvenience. The 3rd phase new towns will proceed as quickly as possible to ensure maximum transportation convenience from the time residents move in."

Meanwhile, the government is consulting with related agencies in each district to finalize metropolitan transportation improvement plans for other 3rd phase new towns such as Namyangju Wangsuk, Incheon Gyeyang, Goyang Changneung, and Bucheon Daejang.

Kim Seungbeom, Director of Public Land Planning Division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "Starting with the finalization of metropolitan transportation improvement plans for Hanam Gyosan and Gwacheon Gwacheon Districts, we plan to sequentially finalize transportation plans for the remaining four new towns?Wangsuk, Gyeyang, Changneung, and Daejang?by the end of the year."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.