Yoon: "30-Minute Commute Between Incheon and Seoul... GTX Will Revolutionize Incheon"

GTX B Line to Open by 2030
Groundbreaking Ceremony Attended: "Lives of Incheon Citizens Will Change"

President Yoon Suk-yeol is participating in a commemorative ceremony at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Metropolitan Area Express Railway (GTX) Line B held at Songdo Convensia in Incheon on the 7th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol announced on the 7th, "We will open the GTX B Line by 2030, ushering in a 30-minute commute era between Incheon and downtown Seoul."

President Yoon attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Metropolitan Area Express Railway (GTX) B Line held at Songdo Convensia in Incheon and emphasized, "The GTX-B Line, which breaks ground today, will completely change the lives of Incheon citizens."

President Yoon stated, "The route connecting 3.5 million Incheon citizens and 9.5 million Seoul citizens is arduous, slow, and frustrating," adding, "A two-hour bus commute is standard, and the subway takes over an hour and a half. Now, that difficult journey is almost over."

He explained, "When the GTX B Line opens in 2030, it will take only 23 minutes from Songdo here to Yeouido in Seoul, and 29 minutes to Seoul Station," adding, "Major points in Seoul, including Gangnam, will be connected within 30 minutes." He continued, "It will extend further to Guri and Namyangju, creating a new east-west transportation axis connecting the southwestern and northeastern parts of the metropolitan area," and said, "This will truly transform Incheon's transportation map completely."

The GTX B Line starts from Incheon National University Station and runs through Yeouido Station, Yongsan Station, Seoul Station, and extends to Maseok in Namyangju, covering a total distance of 82.8 km with all 14 stations planned as transfer stations.

President Yoon admitted that the process leading up to the groundbreaking ceremony was not easy. He said, "The GTX B Line was included in the national railway network plan in 2011 but did not even break ground for over 10 years," adding, "Since declaring the full-scale promotion of the GTX B Line project last January, the government has held more than 60 execution strategy meetings and adopted a fast-track method that simultaneously proceeded with design and negotiations, culminating in today's groundbreaking ceremony."

"Commercial districts will form around GTX stations, increasing investment opportunities and jobs"

President Yoon Suk-yeol is participating in a commemorative ceremony at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Metropolitan Area Express Railway (GTX) Line B held at Songdo Convensia in Incheon on the 7th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon promised to extend the GTX B Line to Gapyeong in Gyeonggi Province and Chuncheon in Gangwon Province, and to establish the groundwork within his term for the GTX D Line, which will start from Incheon Airport and connect Bucheon and Gwangmyeong in Gyeonggi Province; Gasan, Sillim, Gangnam, Samsung, Jamsil, Suseo, and Gangdong in Seoul; Gwangju, Icheon, and Yeoju in Gyeonggi Province; and Wonju in Gangwon Province; as well as the GTX E Line, which will connect Cheongna in Incheon, Bucheon in Gyeonggi Province, Gangseo, Mapo, Eunpyeong, Jongno, Seongbuk, Nowon, and Jungnang districts in Seoul, and Guri and Namyangju in Gyeonggi Province, thereby building a super-fast metropolitan transportation network starting from Incheon.

Along with securing the basis for groundbreaking such as passing preliminary feasibility studies for the D and E Lines within his term, he plans to actively promote urban railway extensions and metropolitan railway expansion projects to improve metropolitan transportation in new towns in Incheon, including Yeongjong, Cheongna, Geomdan, and Gyeyang.

President Yoon expressed his expectations, saying, "Commercial districts will form around GTX stations, greatly increasing investment opportunities and jobs," and added, "GTX will revolutionize not only Incheon's transportation but also its industrial, living, and cultural landscapes." He further stated, "As a 'government that acts' and always keeps its promises, I will meticulously oversee the construction process until the GTX B Line opens."

At the groundbreaking ceremony, President Yoon, along with key officials including Park Sang-woo, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport; Yoo Jeong-bok, Mayor of Incheon; and Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul, appeared on stage and enthusiastically pressed the button to celebrate the groundbreaking. Approximately 500 people attended the ceremony, including residents from the GTX B Line stopping areas of Incheon, Bucheon, Seoul, and Namyangju, residents from future extension areas such as Gapyeong and Chuncheon, and construction officials.

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