Twisting Negotiation Front... Extension of 'Pocheon Metropolitan Railroad' Project Inevitable

Seoul City, "Refusal to Participate in Pocheon Section Due to '8-Car Direct Connection Risk'"
Gyeonggi Province, "If No Agreement with Seoul City, Operate 4-Car Shuttle"
Pocheon City and Residents, "Unconditionally 8-Car Direct Connection as per Preliminary Feasibility Exemption"

Residents of Pocheon City who posted banners opposing the public hearing and demanding direct connection of 8 cars around Pocheon Banwol Art Hall and downtown Pocheon gathered and strongly opposed the holding of the public hearing while firmly maintaining the original plan of the project. [Provided by Pocheon City]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] The residents' public hearing on the basic plan and draft environmental impact assessment for the extension of Subway Line 7 between Okjeong, Yangju and Pocheon (17.45 km), known as the 'Subway Line 7 Extension Project (Pocheon Metropolitan Railroad Project),' was canceled due to opposition from Pocheon residents, making negotiation difficulties and project delays inevitable.

Earlier, the 'Yangju Okjeong?Pocheon Metropolitan Railroad Residents' Public Hearing and Explanation Meeting,' scheduled to be held on the 10th at Pocheon Banwol Art Hall, was canceled due to residents' opposition insisting on the original project plan.

According to our investigation, Pocheon residents firmly maintained that Gyeonggi Province must unconditionally proceed with an 8-car direct connection (through service) of Line 7 as exempted from the preliminary feasibility study, while Gyeonggi Province requested residents to engage in dialogue through the public hearing, stating that the initial project plan review indicating '8-car direct connection' was inaccurate.

Pocheon residents argued, "The preliminary feasibility study exemption and the project plan review included a plan to extend Seoul Metropolitan Subway with an 8-car direct connection to Pocheon," and "Since Gyeonggi Province changed the Okjeong to Pocheon section to a 4-car shuttle during the basic plan establishment, the project should proceed according to the original plan."

The residents especially expressed their determination to uphold the original plan, stating, "Rail service requiring transfers at Okjeong is less convenient than buses, so Pocheon citizens will not use it."

Until the public hearing was canceled on the 10th, nine meetings were held by October this year, but the public hearing for project explanation and collecting residents' opinions ended without conclusions, only revealing differences in positions and continuing disruptions.

Gyeonggi Province, which was preparing the public hearing, stated on the 14th, "Since Seoul City opposes the 8-car direct connection, it cannot be helped," and "Project extension is inevitable until Seoul City agrees."

On the same day, a Gyeonggi Province railway construction official emphasized, "The KDI (Korea Development Institute) project plan review report includes plans for direct extension operation of Line 7 subway to the project section, but it states that 'if consultation with the existing operator (Seoul Metro) fails, shuttle operation (transfer) must be implemented.'"

Seoul Metro, holding the key to resolving the situation, clearly stated, "The current operation section of Subway Line 7 (56 km), including the construction section and planned route, will become the longest route of about 103 km," and "The single-track operation section extended to Okjeong-Pocheon has operational system adjustment difficulties and risks, so we will not participate in operating that section."

Park Yoon-guk, Mayor of Pocheon (right in the photo), is talking with residents opposing the public hearing. [Provided by Pocheon City]

In response, Park Yoon-guk, Mayor of Pocheon, stated, "Since the government exempted the preliminary feasibility study for the Pocheon Metropolitan Railroad Project to provide public transportation services to residents in border areas and lay the foundation for regional development, it is reasonable to connect the Subway Line 7 extension project according to the original plan."

Meanwhile, there are criticisms that Pocheon City, which engaged in project plan discussions with Gyeonggi Province without resident persuasion and consent, only deepened the cracks in the negotiation front.

A provincial official said, "We held several consultations with Pocheon City regarding the changes, and Pocheon City also agreed and promoted the deployment of a 4-car shuttle."

Currently, concerns are raised about the risks of single-track operation, the overall headway interval of Line 7, and Pocheon City's worries about operational deficits if an 8-car direct connection is implemented.

It is said that Pocheon City failed to properly communicate these issues to local residents, causing their opposition.

However, the provincial official added, "Even if Pocheon City reflects residents' opinions and decides against transfers, we will respect that opinion."

With Seoul City and Gyeonggi Province pushing for project changes and Pocheon City and residents firmly holding to the original plan, unless there is a dramatic change in the situation, project disruptions such as public hearings are expected to be prolonged.

Meanwhile, the Okjeong?Pocheon Line 7 extension, targeted to open in 2028, is a project to extend the terminus of the Dobongsan?Okjeong section (15.3 km), which began construction last December, by 17.45 km to Pocheon at a cost of 1.1762 trillion KRW.

Gyeonggi Province is currently proceeding with administrative procedures aiming to prepare the basic plan (draft) by December this year, apply for approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and finalize and announce the basic plan in the first half of next year.

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