Government: "GTX-A to Open in 2024... Actively Promoting Timely Opening of B and C Lines"

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 24th that it plans to actively promote the GTX (Great Train Express) project this year, including the opening of the GTX A line in the Seoul metropolitan area in 2024.

There are a total of four related projects, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport set the goals as follows: ① Opening GTX-A in 2024, ② Selecting the preferred bidder for GTX-B within 2022, ③ Signing the implementation agreement for GTX-C in the first half of 2022, and ④ Applying for a preliminary feasibility study for the Western Metropolitan Express Railway by the end of 2022.

First, GTX-A, which began construction in June 2019 as the pilot project of GTX, is currently undergoing active construction such as tunnel excavation. The section from Paju Unjeong Station to Samsung Station (private investment) is scheduled for completion in June 2024, and the section from Samsung Station to Dongtan Station (public funding) is targeted for completion in December 2023.

This year, in preparation for the 2024 opening (with separate operation of private and public sections), vehicle manufacturing, temporary vehicle depot construction, and signal system installation will commence. Also, since most of the line passes through deep underground tunnels, safety management of structures and workers will be strictly enforced, and vibration and noise will be measured in real time and disclosed to minimize inconvenience to residents.

The Samsung Station, which is linked to the Yeongdong-daero complex development in Seoul (commissioned by Seoul City), will be discussed in depth with Seoul City regarding shortening the project period and plans for non-stop passage.

GTX-B aims to announce the basic plan for the publicly funded section and the facility project basic plan (RFP) for the private investment section in the first half of 2022.

The design appropriateness review for the publicly funded section was completed in January 2022, and once the total project cost is confirmed, follow-up procedures such as announcing the basic plan will proceed.

For the private investment section, KDI is currently reviewing the RFP draft, which will be finalized through the Private Investment Project Deliberation Committee (MinTuSim). Additional stations will be proposed by the project operator after gathering opinions from local governments and reflected in the RFP.

GTX-C is currently negotiating the implementation agreement after selecting the preferred bidder in June last year, with the goal of signing the implementation agreement in the first half of this year.

To strengthen communication with local residents around Changdong Station and others, a residents’ briefing session will be held in March to explain the project plan in detail and sufficiently collect residents’ opinions to be reflected in the draft implementation agreement.

Also, through close discussions with local governments from the project proposal stage, the four additional stations proposed by the preferred bidder (Wangsimni, Indeogwon, Uiwang, and Sangnok-su Stations) have secured eligibility through the private investment suitability review and have been reflected in the draft implementation agreement. The draft implementation agreement will be finalized after review by KDI and deliberation by the Private Investment Project Deliberation Committee.

The Western Metropolitan Express Railway is a new project under the '4th National Railway Network Construction Plan,' with a pre-feasibility study underway since November 2021 and the goal to apply for a preliminary feasibility study within this year.

Ahn Jae-hyeok, Director of the Metropolitan Express Railway Division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "2022 is an important year to prepare for the early start of follow-up projects following GTX-A," adding, "We will do our best to ensure that GTX, which will dramatically improve transportation convenience in the metropolitan area, opens on schedule."

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