Subway Line 5 'Gangil~Hanam Geomdansan' 7.7km Extension Fully Opens on the 27th

7.7km Difficult Construction Section of Highway Underpass Station... Opened 6 Years After Groundbreaking in 2015

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul City announced on the 21st that it will fully open the entire extension section of Subway Line 5, including Gangil Station, Hanam City Hall Station, and Hanam Geomdansan Station, at 5:30 a.m. on the 27th. It has been six years since construction began in 2015.

The extension section of Subway Line 5 (Hanam Line) stretches a total of 7.7 km from Sangil-dong Station, passing through Gangil Station, to Misa, Hanam Pungsan, Hanam City Hall, and Hanam Geomdansan Station. The Seoul City construction section involves dismantling 81 meters of the main line wall during late-night hours when train operations are suspended on the existing Subway Line 5, and connecting and constructing a new structure of 162 meters. Additionally, the subway main line structure is built under the Godeokcheon stream, making it a challenging section.

In particular, Gangil Station is located just 7 meters below the Metropolitan Area 1st Ring Expressway, a difficult construction area. To maintain the existing highway traffic flow and prevent safety accidents such as road subsidence during construction, a non-excavation special construction method was applied.

The design of Gangil Station reflects the historicity and symbolism of Gangdong-gu by incorporating the Neolithic prehistoric relics and the tradition of Hanseong Baekje, which had Hanam Wirye-seong as its capital. The main pedestrian paths on the concourse floor feature patterns of comb-patterned pottery from prehistoric relics, and the concourse ceiling incorporates a continuous louver design inspired by pit-house structures and the tomb of King Muyeol of Baekje. Additionally, blue indirect lighting is installed at the top of the concourse pillars.

The artwork installed in the concourse connecting passage symbolically expresses the 500-year history of Baekje Wirye-seong and represents the spirit of Baekje through the form of a straight pine tree. Chairs shaped to symbolize the Han River waterway were also installed, combining symbolism with passenger convenience.

For the first time in Seoul urban rail, an LTE-based train wireless communication network has been established. This enables wireless voice, video, and data communication among the integrated control room, train crew, station staff, and maintenance personnel, enhancing the safety and efficiency of train operations. During train operation, the driver can visually confirm the CCTV footage of the arriving station platform on the onboard monitor immediately after departing the previous station, provided by the train space video service over LTE-R, greatly improving train safety and driver convenience.

Subway Line 5, including the extension section, operates at intervals of 2.5 to 10 minutes during peak commuting hours and 6 to 12 minutes during other times. Kim Jin-pal, Director of Seoul City Urban Infrastructure Headquarters, said, “Accessibility to downtown areas will improve in the Godeok Gangil District and Hanam Misa District, and the urban rail network between city centers will be further enhanced. We will continue to promote urban rail network construction projects so that all citizens can use them safely and conveniently.”

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