500 Youth Rental Housing Units Supplied Utilizing Idle Railway Land at Wonreung and Songchu Stations

Conceptual diagram of the Rail Stay (Youth Housing) near the station area.

A plan is being promoted to supply rental housing for young people and newlyweds on idle railway land at Wonreung Station and Songchu Station in Gyeonggi Province, as well as in Yangyang, Gangwon Province.

On the 23rd, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Rail Network Authority announced that, as part of the government's housing stability policy, they will supply rental housing for young people and newlyweds, called "Rail Stay," by utilizing idle railway land.

To this end, the Ministry of Land plans to start a private proposal contest from the 24th to supply a total of 500 rental housing units for young people and a complex cultural space including startups by utilizing idle land at Wonreung Station and Songchu Station on the suburban line section scheduled to resume operation in 2024, as well as idle land on the unconstructed Donghae Line in Yangyang-gun, Gangwon Province.

The Ministry explained that this project was initiated to promote the public use of railway national property amid the continuous increase of idle railway land due to railway line realignment and the closure of existing lines following underground construction.

The Ministry of Land explained that supplying housing by utilizing idle railway land has the advantage of being available at affordable rents and allows for proximity between residence and workplace due to convenient public transportation. In particular, the Ministry plans to create a complex development Rail Stay that includes residential spaces as well as daycare centers and neighborhood living facilities (startups). The rent will be set at 85% or less of the surrounding market price to alleviate the housing cost burden for vulnerable groups such as young people and newlyweds.

Perspective view example of Rail Stay (Youth Housing) in a station area.

The Ministry of Land plans to complete the project by the end of 2026 and recruit tenants through private proposal contests, proposal evaluations, and the establishment of an investment company.

Kang Hee-eop, Director of the Railway Bureau at the Ministry of Land, said, "Starting with the supply of Rail Stay, we will enhance the utilization of idle railway land such as closed lines and stations and contribute to creating public value of railway national property through public use."

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