Subway Line 9 Phase 4 Gangildong Extension and Line 5 Direct Connection

'The 2nd Seoul Metropolitan City Urban Rail Network Construction Plan' Approved and Announced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport... Gangdong to Gangnam Connected Within 30 Minutes, Alleviating Transfer Inconvenience on Line 5... Revolutionary Improvement in Transportation Welfare

Line 9 Extension Route Map

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The additional extension of Subway Line 9 Phase 4 to Gangil-dong and the direct connection project of Line 5, linking Dunchon-dong Station to Gubeundari Station in a straight line, are set to be actively promoted.

Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon) announced that the '2nd Seoul Metropolitan City Urban Railway Network Construction Plan,' which includes the district's largest long-awaited project, received approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the 17th, signaling a green light for project advancement.

The '2nd Seoul Metropolitan City Urban Railway Network Construction Plan' is a legally mandated 10-year plan established by Seoul City under the 'Urban Railway Act.' After requesting approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in July 2019, the approval was finalized after one year and four months.

Ten lines, including the direct connection of Line 5, were approved. The additional extension of Line 9 Phase 4 was conditionally approved as a metropolitan railway project, contingent upon securing feasibility linked to the subsequent section (Gangil~Misa).

The additional extension section of Line 9 Phase 4 connecting Godeok Gangil 1 District to Gangil-dong is a gap between the ongoing turnkey construction project of Line 9 Phase 4 extension (Central Veterans Hospital Station~Godeok Gangil 1 District, 4.12 km) and the Line 9 extension plan (Gangil~Misa, 1.4 km) confirmed in the 2016 3rd National Railway Network Basic Plan.

Until now, the district has actively worked with residents and local council members to promote the Gangil-dong extension line to alleviate traffic congestion in the Gangil-dong area. As a result, it was conditionally reflected in the 2019 2nd Seoul Metropolitan City Urban Railway Network Construction Plan, and with the recent conditional approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the project has become more certain.

Meanwhile, the Line 5 direct connection project is a newly included line in the 2nd Seoul Metropolitan City Urban Railway Network Construction Plan, aimed at linking Sangil, Macheon, and Hanam areas through facility improvements on the existing line.

Previously, Line 5 split at Gangdong Station towards Sangil-dong and Macheon directions, resulting in long intervals between trains and inconvenient travel methods. However, with the direct connection linking Dunchon-dong Station to Gubeundari Station, passengers can travel from Sangil-dong and Godeok-dong to Songpa-gu Macheon Station without transfers, and transfer between Line 9 Olympic Park Station and Line 3 Ogeum Station will be possible, improving access to Gangnam.

Since July, Seoul City has been conducting a preliminary feasibility study on the express operation of Line 4 and the direct connection of Line 5. With the recent approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the project is expected to accelerate.

Lee Jeong-hoon, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, stated, "The approval of the additional extension of Subway Line 9 Phase 4 has turned on a green light for resolving the traffic chaos in Gangil-dong and revitalizing the local economy. We also expect the direct connection of Line 5 to alleviate long-standing inconveniences for residents. We will closely coordinate with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Seoul City to expedite the project and strive to successfully attract the metropolitan express railway GTX-D, thereby dramatically improving Gangdong-gu's transportation infrastructure."

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