Korea Rail Network Authority Issues Construction Contracts for Suseo~Gwangju Double-Track Railway Sections 2 and 3

The Korea Rail Network Authority announced on the 6th that it has issued a bid notice for the design and construction lump-sum contract (T/K) method for the construction of Sections 2 and 3 of the Suseo~Gwangju double-track railway.

Route map of the Suseo∼Gwangju double-track railway project. Provided by Korea Rail Network Authority

The Suseo~Gwangju double-track railway project aims for completion by 2030, with a total project cost of 1.1103 trillion KRW. The total section length is 19.4 km, with 14.4 km from Suseo to Samdong newly constructed as double track, and 5.0 km from Samdong to Gyeonggi Gwangju planned to utilize the existing line.

Two new stations will be established at Suseo and Moran, and one existing station in Gyeonggi Gwangju will be renovated.

The Suseo~Gwangju double-track railway project will proceed with Sections 2 and 3 under the design and construction lump-sum contract (T/K) method, and Section 1 under other construction methods.

The Rail Network Authority expects the project to create 10,248 private sector jobs and contribute to economic revitalization.

In particular, Sections 2 and 3 are characterized by construction taking place on tracks where existing high-speed rail lines and the Bundang Line operate, overcoming spatial and temporal constraints. To promote efficient project execution, all fields including roadbed, track, and systems will be integrated under the lump-sum contract method for design and construction.

The Rail Network Authority plans to complete the basic design this year, select a qualified party for the detailed design next year, complete the detailed design and commence construction in 2025.

Upon completion of the Suseo~Gwangju double-track railway project, the Rail Network Authority anticipates travel times from Seoul (Suseo) to Gangneung to be 1 hour 22 minutes, to Busan Bujeon 3 hours 3 minutes, and to Mungyeong, Gyeongbuk in just 1 hour.

Additionally, by expanding railway services centered in northern Seoul (Seoul, Cheongnyangni) to the Gangnam (Suseo) area, accessibility to the metropolitan area is expected to improve.

Kim Han-young, Director of the Rail Network Authority, stated, “We will make every effort to ensure railway quality for safe and convenient railway construction, and to complete the construction within the project period to improve metropolitan accessibility in the region.”

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