Densified 'Rail Network'... "Realizing Railways Accessible to All Citizens"

Korea Rail Network Authority to Open 10 Projects This Year... Total Length 508km
Three Lines Including Seohae Line to Open Simultaneously... Dawn of Seohaean Railway Era
GTX-A Unjeong~Seoul Opens Tomorrow, Daegu Metropolitan Railway Service Begins

The Korea Rail Network Authority successfully connected a total of 10 railway lines this year, starting with the opening of the Metropolitan Area Express Railway (GTX) Line A, which travels from Suseo to Dongtan in just 20 minutes in March. The total length of the opened railways reaches 508 km, which is longer than the high-speed rail distance from Seoul to Busan. The Rail Network Authority expects significant improvements in public transportation convenience by tightly linking cities and people.

Connecting Four Vertical Axes Linking South and North Korea

Lee Seong-hae, President of the Korea Rail Network Authority, is delivering a commemorative speech at the opening ceremony of the Andong-Yeongcheon section of the Jungang Line on the 19th. / Photo by Korea Rail Network Authority

On the 2nd of last month, three lines?the Seohae Line, Janghang Line, and Poseung-Pyeongtaek Line?were opened simultaneously, marking the official start of the West Coast railway era.

The Seohae Line (Hongseong to Seohwaseong) is a railway project initiated in 2015 to contribute to national balanced development. It was planned to establish new growth momentum for the West Coast regions such as Hongseong in Chungnam and Gunsan in Jeonbuk, which had not enjoyed proper railway services since the opening of the Janghang Line (single-track non-electrified) in 1931. This is a double-track electrified railway project connecting 90 km from Hongseong in Chungnam to Ansan in Gyeonggi Province, with a total project cost of 4.1217 trillion KRW. The stations include Hapdeok, Inju, Anjung, Hyangnam, Hwaseong City Hall, and Seohwaseong, totaling seven stops. With the opening of the Seohae Line, the ITX-Maeum train operates eight times daily (four times each in both directions). It takes 67 minutes to travel from Hongseong Station to Seohwaseong Station, reducing travel time by approximately 132 minutes compared to buses and about 43 minutes compared to private cars.

The Janghang Line (Sinchang to Daeya) project began after being included in the 2nd National Railway Network Construction Plan in 2011 and passing the preliminary feasibility study in 2017. It connects 118.6 km from Asan in Chungnam to Gunsan in Jeonbuk with a double-track electrified railway. For operational efficiency, the line is opened in sections: Sinchang to Hongseong and Hongseong to Daeya. The Sinchang to Hongseong section (36.35 km), with a total project cost of 236.7 billion KRW, was prioritized and opened last month. The ITX-Maeum train now runs twice daily (once each direction) from Yongsan to Hongseong. The subsequent section extending to Daeya will be connected in 2027.

The Poseung-Pyeongtaek Line is a 30.4 km railway constructed in three phases. Last month, the second phase section (Anjung to Oseong, 9.4 km) began operation. The first phase section (Oseong to Pyeongtaek, 13.4 km) was opened in 2015. A separate section connecting Anjung to Pyeongtaek is served by the ITX-Maeum train, which runs six times daily (three times each direction) on a circular route covering the Seohae Line, Janghang Line, and Poseung-Pyeongtaek Line.

View of Seolun 1 Bridge on the Jungbu Naeryuk Line. / Photo by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

While the West Coast railway axis was being connected, the central axis of the Korean Peninsula saw the opening of the Jungbu Inland Line (Chungju to Mungyeong). The entire section was completed last month on the 30th, nine years after the first phase (Icheon to Chungju) began construction in 2015. The project cost totaled 2.5529 trillion KRW. The KTX-Eum train, which previously operated from Seongnam Pangyo Station to Chungju Station, has extended its service to Mungyeong Station with eight round trips daily. Travel time from Pangyo to Mungyeong is now 90 minutes, and from Icheon to Mungyeong is 54 minutes. The Jungbu Inland Line will eventually connect to Suseo-Gwangju, Mungyeong-Gimcheon, the Southern Inland Railway (Gimcheon to Geoje), and the Chungbuk Line, linking Gangnam Suseo in the north and Geoje in the south. Additionally, on the 20th of this month, the Rail Network Authority opened the last project section (Andong to Yeongcheon) of the Jungang Line double-track electrified railway (145.1 km) from Dodam to Yeongcheon.

In the east, the construction of the Donghae Line (Pohang to Samcheok) single-track railway and the electrification project of the Donghae Line (Pohang to Donghae) were completed simultaneously. The second phase of the Pohang to Samcheok section (Yeongdeok to Samcheok) is scheduled to open on the 1st of next month. On the same day, the Pohang to Donghae section (172.8 km) will begin operation, having been electrified from a single-track non-electrified line. Once the Donghae Line opens, the ITX-Maeum train will be initially deployed, and it is expected that the KTX-Eum train will enable travel from Gangneung to Busan in approximately 2 hours and 35 minutes.

GTX-A and the First Metropolitan Railway Outside the Capital Region Opened

Seonghae Lee, President of the Korea Rail Network Authority / Photo by Korea Rail Network Authority

The GTX-A line is also scheduled to open by the end of the year. The section from Unjeongjungang to Samsung will open on the 28th of this month. The stations include Unjeongjungang, Kintex, Daegok, Yeonsinnae, and Seoul Station, totaling five stops. After opening, it will take only 22 minutes to travel from Unjeongjungang Station to Seoul Station. The currently operating Suseo to Dongtan section has seen steady growth, with daily ridership nearing 13,000 as of last month after the opening of Guseong Station in June. The Rail Network Authority expects demand to increase further once the Unjeongjungang to Samsung section opens. The entire GTX-A line is planned to open in 2028, in line with Seoul City's 'Yeongdong-daero Underground Space Complex Development (Samsung Station section)' project.

On the 14th, the Daegu-Gyeongbuk metropolitan railway, the first step in building the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Mega City, was opened. With a total project cost of 209.2 billion KRW, this project connects 61.9 km from Gumi in Gyeongbuk to Daegu and Gyeongsan. It is expected to significantly improve transportation convenience for local residents by linking Daegu and the Gyeongbuk area into a single living zone within 40 minutes, alleviating commuting demand.

Lee Seong-hae, President of the Rail Network Authority, said, "The opening of 10 railway projects this year will dramatically improve public railway services and create various economic and social synergies in tourism, transportation, and logistics. We will also ensure the smooth progress of scheduled railway projects to establish a regional cooperation base centered on the railway network and contribute to regional innovative growth and national balanced development."

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