Daegu-Gwangju 'Dalbit Inland Railroad' Plan Confirmed... Geochang Residents Voice Strong Support

In April, Geochang-gun Achieved Results from the Appeal by Six Provincial Governors
Focusing Efforts on Attracting Hae Insayeok Station for the Southern Inland Railroad Linked with Dalbit Inland Railroad

Moonlight Inland Railroad Route Map [Image source=Geochang-gun]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] The residents of Geochang County have expressed their welcome to the news that the Daegu-Gwangju ‘Dalbit Inland Railroad,’ a 20-year long-cherished project in the Yeongnam and Honam regions, has been finally included in the 4th National Railroad Network Construction Plan.

This project was initially selected as a ‘review project’ in the draft announced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on April 22, but after a process of public consultation, it has now been finalized.

The Dalbit Inland Railroad project (total length 191 km, single track) connects 10 local governments including Daegu, Goryeong, Hapcheon, Geochang, Hamyang, Jangsu, Namwon, Sunchang, Damyang, and Gwangju with a high-speed railway, with an estimated total project cost of 4.5 trillion KRW.

Once this project materializes, it will have significant effects on balanced regional development among the six metropolitan cities and provinces of Yeongnam and Honam, strengthening connectivity between regional hubs, and enabling Daegu and Gwangju to form a one-hour living zone.

With the Dalbit Inland Railroad included in the national railroad network construction plan, Geochang County has expressed the view that securing the Haeinsa Station on the Southern Inland Railroad in Hapcheon is not only essential for establishing a circular railroad network but also economically justified.

Gu In-mo, the mayor of Geochang County, stated, “This is the fruit of our efforts, including the appeal made last April in Geochang County, the center of southern Korea, where we invited governors from six provinces to request the inclusion of the Dalbit Inland Railroad in the national railroad network construction plan. Going forward, our county will unite all residents to emphasize the necessity of securing the Haeinsa Station on the Southern Inland Railroad and respond even more strongly.”

Regarding the exclusion of Haeinsa Station in the draft of the Southern Inland Railroad Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment released by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport at the end of last year, the county formed the Gajo-myeon Station Promotion Committee in March and held launching ceremonies in seven towns and townships. Each local Haeinsa Station Promotion Committee and the 500,000-member Hyangwoo Association conducted one-person protests in front of the Blue House fountain for three days from April 13 to 15.

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