Additional Lines E and F to Routes A, B, C, and D... Lee and Yoon Compete on GTX Pledges

Two Candidates Side by Side Pledge New Route Establishment and Extension
"Risk of Becoming a Second Subway... Doubts Over Economic Feasibility" Raised

Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung's proposal for extending GTX-A and C lines and establishing new D, E, and F lines

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Yoon Seok-youl, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, have both proposed pledges to extend and establish new lines of the metropolitan express railroad (GTX) in the Seoul metropolitan area, increasing the number of lines to six. Gyeonggi Province is the region with the highest concentration of voters, and both candidates have promised the residents of Gyeonggi Province an era of 30-minute living zones in the metropolitan area through GTX. However, concerns have been raised that the metropolitan railroad could be reduced to a second subway due to line extensions and additional stops, and there are also criticisms that the economic feasibility is low, making realization unlikely.

While the GTX pledges of the two candidates are similar in broad terms, there are differences in the starting and ending points of some lines.

The new lines envisioned by candidate Lee head toward Incheon Airport, Pocheon, and Paju. On the other hand, candidate Yoon plans to establish lines heading to Namyangju and a circular line around Gyeonggi Province similar to Seoul Subway Line 2.

In January, candidate Lee announced at Poeun Art Hall in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, that he would promote the 'GTX Plus' project. The core of the plan is to extend the existing GTX A, C, and D lines promoted by the government while establishing new E and F lines.

According to this project, the GTX-A+ line, which refers to the extension of the GTX A line, will be extended from Dongtan to Pyeongtaek, and the GTX C+ line will be extended northward to Dongducheon and southward to Byeongjeom, Osan, and Pyeongtaek.

The extension plans for the A and C lines almost coincide with the GTX-related pledges included in candidate Yoon's 'Metropolitan Area Wide Transportation Pledge' announced on January 7.

Candidate Yoon Seok-yeol's pledged GTX route network

Candidate Yoon's GTX-A line extension plan also connects to Pyeongtaek. The C line is extended north to Dongducheon and south to Pyeongtaek as well.

However, differences arise from the D line onward in the candidates' pledges.

Candidate Lee plans to extend the currently planned D line from Gimpo to Bucheon, following Gyeonggi Province's original proposal, through Seoul Gangnam to Hanam.

In contrast, candidate Yoon plans to promote a 'sideways Y-shaped' line by adding a route connecting Gangnam to Gwangju, Icheon, and Yeoju, separately from the Gangnam-Hanam extension.

Candidate Lee proposed establishing the GTX F line (Paju?Samsong?Seoul?Wirye?Gwangju?Icheon?Yeoju) for the Gwangju?Icheon?Yeoju section, which is excluded from the D line extension plan.

Among these, the establishment of the GTX in the northwest of Gyeonggi Province, such as Paju?Samsong, is not included in candidate Yoon's pledge.

Instead, candidate Yoon intends to make the F line a circular line that connects the entire metropolitan area as one mega-city. The structure connects major hubs such as Goyang, Ansan, Suwon, Yongin, Seongnam, Hanam, Uijeongbu, and back to Goyang via GTX.

Regarding the E line, candidate Lee proposed a plan starting from Incheon Airport, passing through Gwangmyeong, Gangnam, Guri, and reaching Pocheon. In contrast, candidate Yoon envisions a route starting from Incheon Geomam, passing through Gimpo Airport, Jeongneung, Guri, and extending to Namyangju.

However, it is uncertain whether these pledges will lead to actual construction.

There are immediate concerns that GTX could be reduced to a 'second subway.' Adding stops or extending lines inevitably slows down the speed.

Securing funding and slow construction progress are also issues. Large-scale railway projects like GTX require inclusion in the national railway network construction plan, which is reviewed every ten years. Although the 4th National Railway Network Construction Plan (2021?2030) was finalized last year, new line establishments are likely to be considered only in the 5th plan (2031?2040). Considering that the 5th plan will be established in 2026, even if the next government is formed, GTX expansion policies seem distant.

Moreover, currently, only the GTX A line has begun construction. The B and C lines have not even started. The A line took 7 to 8 years from planning to construction. The opening target has been gradually postponed, with expectations that it will be usable at the earliest in 2028. For the C line, conflicts are intensifying over plans to tunnel under the Eonma Apartment in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and to elevate the section between Dobongsan Station and Chang-dong Station in Dobong-gu.

Questions about the necessity of GTX itself are growing. As usage decreases toward the outskirts of the metropolitan area, economic feasibility declines. There is a possibility that deficits will be covered by taxpayers' money.

Meanwhile, the government is currently promoting four GTX lines from A to D. GTX-A is scheduled to open in 2024. GTX-B plans to select a preferred negotiation partner within this year, and GTX-C plans to sign an implementation agreement in the first half of the year. GTX-D (Western Metropolitan Express Railroad) is undergoing project management aiming to apply for a preliminary feasibility study by the end of this year.

GTX-A, which began construction as a pilot project in June 2019, is undergoing tunnel excavation and other works. The Paju Unjeong Station to Samsung Station (private sector section) is targeted for completion in June 2024, and the Samsung Station to Dongtan Station (public sector section) is targeted for December 2023. This year, preparations will begin for vehicle manufacturing, temporary vehicle depot construction, and signal system installation in anticipation of separate operation of private and public sections after opening.

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