Narrow-Gauge Train Suin Line Reborn as Metropolitan Subway After 25 Years... Incheon-Origin KTX Project Gains Momentum

Phase 3 Section (Suwon Station to Ansan Hanyang University Front Station) Opens on 12th
Travel Time from Incheon to Suwon Reduced from 90 Minutes to 55 Minutes
Suin Line Connects to Seoul Cheongnyangni via Bundang Line One-Stop
Green Light for Incheon KTX Opening in 2025... Connected to Gyeongbu Line Main Line at Hwaseong Eocheon

Suin Line running over Sorae Cheolgyo Bridge [Provided by Incheon City]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] The so-called 'narrow-gauge train' Suin Line, which used to run between Incheon and Suwon, has been reborn as a metropolitan subway connecting the southwestern metropolitan area from Incheon to Suwon, Bundang, and Seoul after 25 years of suspension. Additionally, with the full opening of the Suin Line, the Incheon-origin KTX project linked to it is gaining further momentum.

According to Incheon City on the 11th, the last third phase section of the Suin Line, the 19.9km stretch from Suwon Station to Ansan Hanyang University Station, will begin operation on the 12th, completing the entire 52.8km Suin Line between Incheon and Suwon.

The Suin Line project, with a total investment of 2.0074 trillion KRW, saw the first phase connecting Oido to Songdo (13.1 km) open in June 2012, and the second phase from Songdo to Incheon (7.3 km) open in February 2016. With the opening of the third phase, for the first time in 25 years since the closure of the existing narrow-gauge line (December 1995), Suwon and Incheon are connected by a single railway.

The Suin Line, which operated from 1937 to 1995, was a narrow-gauge train with a track width only half that of the standard gauge (1.43m), earning it the nickname 'little train.' Although originally intended for Japanese exploitation during the colonial period, in the 1960s and 70s it served as the only transportation means for students commuting between Suwon and Incheon and for farmers and fishermen to sustain their livelihoods.

Appearance of Gunja Station on the Suin Line in 1970 (Exhibited at the 2016 Suin Line Photo Exhibition at Incheon Museum / Photo by Kim Yong-su)

With the full opening of the Suin Line, the southern metropolitan railway network connecting Incheon, southern Gyeonggi Province, and Seoul is completed, and citizens' transportation convenience is expected to improve significantly.

Previously, traveling between Incheon and Suwon required transferring at Seoul Guro Station, but with the Suin Line opening, direct connection reduces travel time between Incheon and Suwon from 90 minutes to 55 minutes, cutting 35 minutes.

Also, by taking the Suin Line from Incheon Station through Suwon Station to Seoul Cheongnyangni, passengers can connect seamlessly to the Bundang Line (Suwon Station to Cheongnyangni Station). This is the third longest line among metropolitan subway lines, following Line 1 (Soyosan to Sinchang, 166.7 km) and the Gyeongui-Jungang Line (Imjingang to Jipyeong, 128 km), with a length of 108.1 km.

Major transfer points include Oido Station on Line 4, Suwon Station on Line 1, Dogok Station on Line 3, Seolleung Station on Line 2, and Gangnam-gu Office Station on Line 7, and access to KTX and SRT has also become more convenient.

Meanwhile, with the full opening of the Suin Line, the Incheon-origin KTX project is expected to proceed smoothly according to the planned 2025 opening schedule. The Incheon-origin KTX departing from Suin Line Songdo Station will pass through Eocheon Station, included in this newly opened section, and connect to the Gyeongbu Line KTX main line.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Rail Network Authority plan to complete by 2025 a project costing 393.6 billion KRW to connect a 3.3 km track section allowing the Incheon-origin KTX to merge with the Gyeongbu Line main line at Eocheon in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

Additionally, to double the track capacity on the Pyeongtaek-Osong section, including the Incheon-origin KTX merge point, 31.5 billion KRW has been allocated in next year's government budget for design and related expenses.

Once the Incheon-origin KTX opens as scheduled in 2025, the inconvenience of Incheon citizens having to travel to other cities or provinces such as Gwangmyeong or Yeongdeungpo to use the KTX will be eliminated.

Using the Incheon-origin KTX, travel times will be 2 hours 42 minutes from Incheon to Busan and 1 hour 47 minutes to Gwangju. It is expected that not only Incheon but also 6.5 million residents in southwestern Gyeonggi Province will benefit from high-speed rail services.

An official from Incheon City stated, "With the Suin Line running as a metropolitan subway extending from Incheon to Suwon, Bundang, and Seoul after 25 years, railway use for metropolitan citizens has greatly improved. Furthermore, once the Incheon-origin KTX and Wolpan Line (Wolgot to Pangyo), which connect to the Suin Line, open, a half-day railway living zone covering all corners of the country can be established."

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