GTX-C Line 'Wangsimni Station' Newly Established Confirmed

[Seoul District News] Wangsimni Station in Seongdong-gu, Lines 2, 5, Gyeongui-Jungang Line, Bundang Line, plus Dongbuk Line and GTX-C Line, Rising as the Northeast's Top Transfer Hub, Achievement Born from the Wishes of 300,000 Seongdong Residents

Public Hearing for Installing Wangsimni Station on GTX-C Line Held in 2020

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] It has been virtually confirmed that 'Wangsimni Station' in Seongdong-gu will be newly added to the GTX (Great Train Express) C line in the Seoul metropolitan area.

On the 24th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport officially announced through a press release, “The preliminary feasibility study for the four additional stations (Wangsimni, Indeokwon, Uiwang, Sangnoksu) on the GTX-C line by the preferred negotiation partner confirmed their eligibility, and this has been reflected in the draft implementation agreement.”

It is unusual that the government, which had so far refrained from commenting on adding stops, officially announced the plan to add four stations. Following the proposal by the Hyundai Construction consortium, selected as the preferred negotiation partner last June, to add Wangsimni Station as an additional stop, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s announcement this time has virtually confirmed the establishment of Wangsimni Station on the GTX-C line.

Thus, the establishment of Wangsimni Station is now approaching the final stages before the signing of the implementation agreement.

This achievement was made possible not only by the prompt response and efforts of the district office but also by the interest and aspirations of the 300,000 residents of Seongdong-gu and citizens who united to attract the establishment of Wangsimni Station.

Previously, when the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport changed the GTX-C line route, which was originally planned to pass through the low-rise residential area of Seongsu-dong, to pass underground at Wangsimni Station, the discussion about adding a stop at Wangsimni Station, which was initially considered “0% possible,” surfaced. In response, Seongdong-gu formed a dedicated task force team to attract Wangsimni Station on the GTX-C line and immediately organized a Seongdong-gu residents’ promotion committee.

They then held rallies and conducted online and offline signature campaigns, submitting a petition to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport with the support of about 300,000 citizens from Seongdong-gu, nearby universities, adjacent autonomous districts, and the Seoul metropolitan area including Gyeonggi Province. Additionally, through policy advice from railway experts and research results securing economic feasibility (B/C 1.05), continuous efforts were made toward the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Seoul City, related agencies, and private operators to add a stop at Wangsimni Station.

Eventually, in December 2020, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport opened the possibility by announcing that private investors could propose up to three additional stations in the basic plan for the private investment project of the GTX-C line. Then, in February last year, Seoul City officially recommended the establishment of Wangsimni Station to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to improve citizens’ quality of life and transportation convenience, supporting Seongdong-gu’s request. In June of the same year, all three private investors participating in the bidding proposed Wangsimni Station as an additional stop, and Hyundai Construction was finally selected as the preferred negotiation partner, further increasing the possibility of adding a stop at Wangsimni Station.

The original purpose of GTX is to connect the Seoul metropolitan area and downtown Seoul within a 30-minute living zone. With this announcement, including Wangsimni Station, the largest transfer station in the eastern region, on the GTX-C line can be seen as a natural outcome for the transportation convenience and efficiency of Seoul and metropolitan area citizens, including Seongdong-gu residents.

In the future, Wangsimni Station is expected to emerge as a genuine metropolitan transportation hub, as it will connect not only Subway Lines 2, 5, Bundang Line, and Gyeongui-Jungang Line but also the Northeast Line light rail scheduled to open in 2026. In particular, Wangsimni Station is a massive transfer station with an annual total ridership of about 180 million people. When GTX-C stops at Wangsimni Station, the total daily ridership of the GTX-C line is expected to increase by about 70,000. Additionally, the transfer time from Uijeongbu to Line 2 will be reduced from 26 minutes to 19 minutes, greatly improving downtown accessibility and public transportation convenience.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “All of this is the fruit of the wishes and efforts of 300,000 Seongdong-gu residents,” and added, “I deeply appreciate the efforts of other local governments, Seoul City, and everyone who actively empathized with and supported the necessity of establishing Wangsimni Station on the GTX-C line, which made this achievement possible.” He continued, “We will proceed smoothly with the remaining procedures and hope that Seongdong-gu can play a significant role in forming the metropolitan transportation network and providing transfer convenience,” expressing his determination to spare no effort until the addition of Wangsimni Station is finalized.

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