"70 Minutes from Incheon to Suwon"... Entire Suin Line Connected for the First Time in 25 Years

Connection between Suwon and Incheon after 25 years since the railway closure in 1995

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] The Suwon~Incheon double-track railway line (hereafter Suin Line), connecting Suwon Station in Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, and Incheon Station in Jung-gu, Incheon-si, will be fully opened on the 12th. Transportation in the southwestern metropolitan area is expected to become significantly more convenient.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the 10th, the third phase of the Suin Line double-track railway, the Suwon~Handaeap section (19.9 km), will begin operation from the 12th.

The Suin Line project involves upgrading Korea's last narrow-gauge railway, symbolizing Japanese colonial exploitation, to a standard-gauge metropolitan railway, with a total project cost of 2.0074 trillion KRW.

From July 1995 to May 2004, basic planning and design services were conducted, and construction of the first phase began in December 2004.

The first phase, which opened first in June 2012, is a 13.1 km section connecting Oido and Songdo, and the second phase, opened in February 2016, is a 20.7 km section running from Incheon through Songdo to Oido Station.

With the opening of the 19.9 km Suwon~Handaeap section this time, the existing narrow-gauge line, which was closed in December 1995, will connect the Suwon and Incheon sections by a single railway for the first time in 25 years.

The Suin Line will be directly connected with the Bundang Line (Suwon~Bundang~Wangsimni·Cheongnyangni), allowing trains to operate continuously. When the Suin Line and Bundang Line are connected, the total operating distance will reach 108 km, making it the third longest line among metropolitan subway lines.

The Suin Line and Bundang Line plan to operate 6-car electric trains, with 96 direct operation runs on weekdays (48 upbound, 48 downbound) and 70 runs on holidays (35 upbound, 35 downbound). Operating hours, based on Suwon Station downbound, are from 5:36 AM to 12:17 AM the next day.

During commuting hours, trains run at an average interval of 20 minutes, and at other times, at 25-minute intervals.

With the full opening of the Suin Line, travel between southwestern Incheon and Gyeonggi areas (Siheung, Ansan, Hwaseong, Suwon) and eastern Gyeonggi areas (Yongin, Seongnam, etc.) will become more convenient, significantly reducing both distance and time to the major hub station, Suwon Station.

Until now, there was no subway network connecting Incheon, Siheung, Ansan, Hwaseong to Suwon Station, so passengers had to use buses or travel to Geumjeong or Guro Station to transfer to Line 1. However, with the opening of the Suin Line, direct travel from Incheon Station to Suwon Station is possible. Travel time is reduced from 90 minutes to 70 minutes.

Kim Hyun-mi, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "With the full opening of the Suin Line, Incheon and the southwestern Gyeonggi region will become closer," adding, "We plan to further accelerate the expansion of the metropolitan transportation network."

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