Announcement of the Basic Plan for the Extension of the Chungcheong Region Metropolitan Railroad to Okcheon

Route map of the Chungcheong Region Metropolitan Railroad Okcheon Extension Construction Project. Provided by Daejeon City

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The basic plan for the construction project to extend the Chungcheong region metropolitan railway to Okcheon has been announced.

Daejeon City announced on the 29th that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has announced the basic plan in accordance with the Railway Construction Act. The Okcheon extension construction project will be promoted by extending the section between Ojeong Station in Daedeok-gu, Daejeon, a newly established station in phase 1 of the Chungcheong region metropolitan railway, and Okcheon Station in Okcheon-gun, Chungbuk (20.1 km) along the existing Gyeongbu Line tracks.

Previously, this project was included in the 3rd National Railway Network Construction Plan in 2016 and the 4th National Railway Network Construction Plan in 2021.

The project is expected to have a budget of 49 billion KRW, including 29.4 billion KRW of national funds, and four stations will be installed within the section: Ojeong Station, Daejeon Station, Secheon Station, and Okcheon Station.

The city expects that once the Okcheon extension project is completed and opened, travel between Ojeong Station and Okcheon Station will take 15 minutes (12 minutes between Daejeon Station and Okcheon Station). The total number of daily trips on this section is planned to be 46 one-way trips.

Considering that the current Mugunghwa train service stopping at Daejeon Station and Okcheon Station operates 18 times, the number of trains operating on this section is expected to increase to 64 after the metropolitan railway opens.

The operation interval will also be reduced. When the Okcheon extension metropolitan railway opens, the average operation interval will shorten from 55 minutes (Mugunghwa only) to 18 minutes (Mugunghwa and metropolitan railway operating concurrently), reducing the interval by 37 minutes, making commuting between Daejeon and Okcheon much more convenient, the city anticipates.

Above all, the Okcheon extension project is expected to play a role in resolving transportation inconveniences between Daejeon and adjacent urban areas and accelerating the establishment of the 'Chungcheong region mega-city centered on Daejeon' by linking phase 1 of the Chungcheong region metropolitan railway (Gyeryong~Sintanjin, transfer at Ojeong Station) and Daejeon Urban Railway Lines 1 and 2 (transfer at Daejeon Station for Line 1 and Ojeong Station for Line 2) through the metropolitan railway network.

The Okcheon extension project is scheduled to proceed with basic and detailed design from 2022 to 2023 and construction from 2023 to 2026, aiming for final opening in 2026 in accordance with the announcement of the basic plan.

Jeon Jae-hyun, head of the Tram Urban Metropolitan Headquarters, said, "The Chungcheong region metropolitan railway network project is part of the effort to build a Chungcheong region mega-city centered on Daejeon and to lead the mutual development of the Chungcheong region," adding, "The city will cooperate with the Ministry of Land and other related agencies to ensure the smooth progress of this project."

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