Starting August, the Operator of Yongin Light Rail Transit Will Change

Yongin Everline Operations Co., Ltd. to Manage for 10 Years
Existing Employees Retained... Budget Also Reduced by 84 Billion Won

From August, the operator of the Yongin Light Rail Transit (LRT) in Gyeonggi will change.

Yongin Special City announced on the 30th that from August 1, Yongin Everline Co., Ltd. will take charge of the management and operation of the Yongin LRT. The new operator's contract period is 10 years, until July 2033. Yongin Everline Operations is a corporation established by a consortium including Dawonsys Co., Ltd., Daejeon Transportation Corporation, and Seolhwa Engineering Co., Ltd.

Yongin Light Rail Everline

The Yongin LRT, which opened in April 2013, operates as an unmanned automatic train system without drivers. It runs 18.143 km between Giheung Station and Jeondae-Everland Station, with 15 stations along the route. Currently, 30 train cars are in operation daily.

The city owns the Yongin LRT, while Yongin Light Rail Transit Co., Ltd. holds the management and operation rights. Additionally, a separate consigned operator is appointed for efficient operation of the train.

For the first 3 years and 4 months after its opening in 2013, Bombardier, the vehicle manufacturer, was entrusted with managing and operating the Yongin LRT. Since then, Neotrans Co., Ltd., the operator of the Shinbundang Line, has been in charge until this month. However, during negotiations over wage increases between the operator and the labor union starting in 2019, which involved 44 rounds of talks, there were four strikes causing internal conflicts.

The newly appointed consigned operator, Yongin Everline Operations, will employ all 187 employees currently affiliated with Neotrans.

During the contract selection process, Yongin City estimated the cost for operating the LRT over the next 10 years at 322.3 billion KRW. The city explained that this is a 12.5% (47.3 billion KRW) reduction compared to the management and operation cost of 369.6 billion KRW stipulated in the implementation agreement.

In addition, the city stated that by requiring the operator to implement the new LTE-R network construction project by 2028 in accordance with changes in disaster safety communication network regulations, as well as the mandatory precise diagnosis and performance evaluation of the light rail system, it achieved an additional 36.7 billion KRW saving in city finances, resulting in a total budget reduction effect of 84 billion KRW.

Meanwhile, during the operation period, Yongin Everline Operations plans to install and establish ▲bidets in restrooms at all stations ▲anti-spy camera systems ▲anti-slip measures on station stairs ▲and a free pass system for transportation-vulnerable groups.

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