Seoul City Requests Ministry of Land to Establish Wangsimni Station on GTX-C Line

Seoul City Officially Requests Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to Add Wangsimni Station Stop on GTX-C Line in February... Seongdong-gu Delivers Petition Signed by 300,000 Residents and Service Report, Making Every Effort to Attract It

Last year, a public hearing for the installation of Wangsimni Station on the GTX-C line was held in the large auditorium on the 3rd floor of Seongdong-gu Office.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) announced on the 4th, "Seoul City has officially requested the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to add Wangsimni Station as a stop on the GTX-C line," adding, "This highlights once again the importance of Wangsimni Station as a hub in the metropolitan transportation network and reflects the earnest wishes of the residents who have supported the addition of the new station."

Earlier last month, Seoul City officially requested the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to add three GTX transfer stations, including Wangsimni Station. This was based on the judgment that adding new stops is necessary for the efficient operation of GTX and to enhance user convenience.

Seoul City stated, "If Wangsimni Station is established between Samsung Station and Cheongnyangni Station on the GTX-C line, the transfer time from Uijeongbu to Line 2 will be reduced from 26 minutes to 19 minutes, contributing to faster access to destinations and improved public transportation convenience for all residents of the metropolitan area, including those in Gyeonggi Province and Seoul." They added, "This matter has been proposed to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and we plan to discuss the installation of the station in detail with related agencies."

This aligns with Seongdong-gu’s stance over the past year, emphasizing the need to add Wangsimni Station as a stop on the GTX-C line.

Seongdong-gu has argued that for better accessibility to the city center and transfer convenience, the GTX-C line must be added to Wangsimni Station, a major urban rail transfer hub where five lines?Line 2, Line 5, Suin-Bundang Line, Gyeongui-Jungang Line, and the planned Dongbuk Line?converge, as it is the station with the highest urban rail ridership.

Wangsimni Station, used by approximately 180 million passengers annually, is a key transportation hub. Enhancing connectivity between GTX and urban rail will allow users to reach their final destinations faster, satisfying the demand for swift travel. Furthermore, it is expected to alleviate metropolitan traffic congestion by encouraging car users to switch to rail, reduce pollution and noise, and improve citizens' quality of life, according to the district.

To this end, Seongdong-gu has formed the Seongdong Residents Promotion Committee and a task force for the addition of Wangsimni Station, conducting online and offline signature campaigns based on residents’ participation and support.

In addition to Seongdong residents, signatures from Seoul citizens and metropolitan area residents traveling to and from Seoul (about 300,000 signatures) and a feasibility study report confirming economic viability (B/C ratio of 1.05) were submitted to vigorously promote the establishment of Wangsimni Station.

As a result, in December last year, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced a notice allowing up to three additional stations on the GTX-C line and introduced a scoring system reflecting residents’ transportation demands (to resolve complaints) in the selection criteria, opening the possibility of attracting Wangsimni Station, which had not been considered before.

Moreover, Seoul City officially proposed the addition of Wangsimni Station to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to improve citizens’ quality of life and transportation convenience, expressing its intention to promote it as a city policy, which has further boosted the possibility of attracting Wangsimni Station on the GTX-C line.

Accordingly, Seongdong-gu plans to continue close consultations with Seoul City and ongoing efforts to secure the addition of Wangsimni Station as a stop on the GTX-C line.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, stated, "Wangsimni Station, the largest transportation hub in northern Seoul, offers optimal transfer conditions for users to reach their final destinations quickly. It must be established to address long-distance commuting demands in the metropolitan area due to the expansion of living zones such as new towns and to ensure speediness." He added, "The main purpose of GTX is to connect Seoul and the Gyeonggi region within a 30-minute living zone. To become a metropolitan railway serving not only Seoul but the entire metropolitan area by facilitating convenient transfers, we will actively continue to promote the establishment of Wangsimni Station."

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