Gyeongnam Province Unveils Urban Rail Network Blueprint for Changwon, Gimhae, and Yangsan... 7 Lines Totaling 116km Planned After AHP Approval

Online Public Hearing on June 3 for Gyeongnam Urban Rail Network Development, 7 Lines Selected to Enhance Urban Competitiveness

Gyeongsangnam-do unveiled a blueprint for public transportation improvement through seven urban rail lines in Changwon, Gimhae, and Yangsan at the 'Gyeongnam Urban Rail Network Construction Plan Online Public Hearing.'
[Image source=Gyeongsangnam-do]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Sang-hyun] On the 3rd, Gyeongsangnam-do held the 'Gyeongsangnam-do Urban Railway Network Construction Plan Online Public Hearing' and unveiled a blueprint for establishing a rail-centered green public transportation system suitable for the carbon-neutral era.

At the public hearing, Professor Ko Seung-young of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Seoul National University, the chief researcher of the project, presented on the topic of the 'Gyeongsangnam-do Urban Railway Network Construction Plan,' covering the current status of urban transportation, the basic direction of the urban railway network construction plan, and the comprehensive analysis results of urban railway route alternatives. Five discussants, including transportation experts and representatives from civic groups, participated in a heated discussion.

The 'Gyeongsangnam-do Urban Railway Network Construction Plan' is a statutory plan established by the province for the first time on a 10-year basis, in accordance with the fully revised 'Urban Railway Act' on January 7, 2014.

According to the 'Guidelines for Establishing Urban Railway Network Construction Plans and Basic Plans for Each Route,' routes must meet an economic feasibility (B/C) of 0.7 or higher or a comprehensive evaluation (AHP) of 0.5 or higher to be reflected in the urban railway network.

In the project, the feasibility of urban railway projects proposed by cities and counties within the province was reviewed, and seven routes totaling 116.45 km, including Changwon, Gimhae, and Yangsan, which met the criteria, were incorporated into the urban railway network construction plan.

The selected routes are Changwon Line 1 (Masan Station to Changwon Central Station), Changwon Line 2 (Changwon Station to Jinhae Station), Changwon Line 3 (Wolyeong Square to Jinhae District Office), Gimhae Line 1 (Jangyu Station to Suro Royal Tomb Station), Gimhae Line 2 (Jangyu Station to Yulha District to Jangyu Station), Gimhae Line 3 (Sinmundong to Bonghwang Station), and Yangsan Line 1 (Yangsan Station to Bogwang High School), all of which passed the AHP criteria.

The project also considered the introduction of economical new transportation modes such as trams, suitable for the regional traffic environment and demand scale, to proactively respond to changing future transportation.

The province expects that once the urban railway network is established, urban competitiveness will be enhanced through improved public transportation, and by linking with the metropolitan transportation network, which is key to forming a mega-city, a one-hour living zone among nearby cities in the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam (Bu-Ul-Gyeong) area will be completed, positioning Changwon, Gimhae, and Yangsan as super-regional central cities.

If there are any opinions regarding the content presented at this public hearing, they can be submitted by downloading the form from the announcement section on the provincial website and writing their feedback.

Yoon In-guk, Director of the Future Strategy Bureau of the province, said, "We hope that the urban railway network construction plan will not only strengthen connectivity between regions but also activate public transportation linking rail and road through expanded railway service supply."

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