'Kim Bu-seon' Direct Gangnam Connection Finally Fails... 'Yeouido·Yongsan Station' Direct Operation Proposed

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Announces 4th National Railroad Network Plan
New West Metropolitan Express Railway Section from Gimpo to Bucheon
Direct Connection to Yeouido and Yongsan Stations via Shared GTX-B Line
Direct Gangnam Connection Fails... Attention on Gimpo and Geomdan Public Sentiment
Seoul Subway Line 5 Extension to Gimpo Approved

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] The plan to directly connect the Western Metropolitan Express Railroad line, which sparked controversy over 'GimBuseon' (Gimpo~Bucheon section), to Gangnam has ultimately failed. However, the government decided to pursue a plan to directly connect the line to central Seoul stations such as Yeouido and Yongsan by sharing the GTX (Metropolitan Express Railroad) B line, considering the opposition from Gimpo residents. Additionally, the government accepted the extension plan of Seoul Subway Line 5 to Gimpo and Geomdan, which was requested by Gimpo residents.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 29th that the '4th National Railroad Network Construction Plan (draft)' containing these details has been finalized after review by the Railroad Industry Committee. This plan is a mid- to long-term statutory plan spanning 10 years, outlining the basic direction for railroad network construction, route expansion plans, and funding procurement methods.

First, the Western Metropolitan Express Railroad, known as the GTX-D line, will be newly constructed on the section from Gimpo Janggi Station to Bucheon Sports Complex Station (21.1 km), as proposed at the public hearing in April. Residents of the western region, including Gimpo and Incheon Geomdan, strongly demanded a direct connection of the GTX-D line to Gangnam, citing insufficient transportation infrastructure to Seoul, but this was not accepted.

However, to improve accessibility from Gimpo to central Seoul, the Ministry of Land decided to pursue a plan to operate the Western Metropolitan Express Railroad directly to central Seoul stations such as Sindorim, Yeouido, and Yongsan by sharing the GTX-B line. This will allow travel from Gimpo Janggi Station to Yeouido in 24 minutes and to Yongsan in 28 minutes.

The plan to share tracks with the GTX-B line and connect to Yeouido or Yongsan stations was originally proposed by the Ministry as an alternative to the 'Gangnam direct connection.' Given local government opposition, reversing the already announced project plan could undermine government policy credibility and provoke backlash from other regions, making it difficult for the government to accept the Gangnam direct connection plan, according to analyses.

Instead, the Ministry agreed to pursue the extension of Seoul Subway Line 5 to Gimpo and Geomdan (Banghwa Station to Gyeonggi Gimpo), as requested by Gimpo and Geomdan residents, after inter-local government agreement and feasibility analysis. The Ministry explained, "Although it was not reflected in the April public hearing draft, considering the region's continuous requests and the need to resolve transportation issues, it has been included as an additional review project in the National Railroad Network Construction Plan."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Additionally, the 4th National Railroad Network Construction Plan includes measures to significantly improve the operational efficiency of the national railroad network. Through projects such as double-tracking the Gyeongbu High-Speed Line between Gwangmyeong and Pyeongtaek, which is a congested section, capacity shortages will be resolved, and express services will be introduced on existing railroad lines (Airport Railroad) by deploying faster trains.

The double-tracking of the Gyeongbu High-Speed Line between Gwangmyeong and Pyeongtaek aims to expand new high-speed rail operations such as the Gyeongbu and Honam High-Speed Lines and KTX services originating from Incheon, thereby establishing a foundation for expanding high-speed rail-centered operations.

Projects to connect missing links in train operations will enhance connectivity between the metropolitan area and regional hubs or between regional hubs, and electrification of non-electrified sections will also be pursued.

Furthermore, the second phase of the Honam High-Speed Rail (Gwangju~Mokpo), KTX services originating from Incheon and Suwon, and other projects will proceed as planned. New high-speed rail services will be provided to underserved areas such as the West Coast region. Existing lines with poor train operation conditions (Jeolla Line, Honam Line, Donghae Line) will be upgraded and speeded up, and new lines such as Gwangju~Daegu will be constructed to enable high-speed travel between hubs.

The plan also includes a significant expansion of metropolitan railroads outside the Seoul metropolitan area to serve as infrastructure for balanced national development. While multiple metropolitan railroad lines operate in the Seoul metropolitan area in addition to urban rail, there has been criticism that non-metropolitan areas lack metropolitan railroads supporting movement within local metropolitan areas, slowing the development of local metropolitan economic zones.

Therefore, in addition to metropolitan railroad projects utilizing existing lines such as the Gyeongbu Line, new metropolitan railroads connecting hubs within local metropolitan economic zones will be constructed to enhance the competitiveness of local metropolitan cities and improve mobility convenience for local residents.

According to this construction plan, a total of 119.8 trillion KRW will be required, representing an increase of more than 29 trillion KRW compared to the 3rd National Railroad Network Construction Plan. By sector, 15.3 trillion KRW will be spent on high-speed rail, 47 trillion KRW on general rail, and 57.4 trillion KRW on metropolitan rail.

The areas receiving high-speed rail services at speeds of 200 km/h or higher will expand, and commuting times within the metropolitan area and local metropolitan cities are expected to be reduced to less than 50% of current levels, significantly improving living conditions. The Ministry explained, "It is estimated that 470,000 jobs will be created and an economic ripple effect of 255 trillion KRW will occur, so significant economic benefits are expected."

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