Gwangju Urban Railway Line 2 Phase 1 Opening Target Rescheduled to 'End of 2027'

After Two Postponements, Full Review of Construction Schedule
Construction to Finish by End of 2026, One-Year Trial Operation Before Opening
Current Civil Engineering Progress at 92-99%, Road Opening Rate at 65%

The city of Gwangju has finalized its internal revision of the target opening date for Phase 1 of Urban Railway Line 2, setting it for the end of 2027. Following two previous postponements and a comprehensive review of the construction process, the city has once again revised its opening plan.

On the 19th, the Gwangju city government announced that, based on a reassessment of the entire Phase 1 construction schedule, all construction work will be completed by the end of 2026, followed by approximately one year of trial operations, with the line opening at the end of 2027. The city plans to complete ten major processes-including civil engineering, electrical, communications, signaling, and track work-by the end of next year.

Near the construction site of Section 2, Phase 1 of the Gwangju Seo-gu Geumho-dong Urban Railway Line 2, where construction is in full swing. Photo by Song Bohyun

The opening of Phase 1 of Urban Railway Line 2 has already been postponed twice. Initial delays in construction and challenging sections led to a rescheduling from the end of 2023 to the end of 2024. Subsequent adjustments, including changes to the trial operation schedule, pushed the opening from the end of 2024 to the end of 2026. Recently, the discovery of multiple underground rock formations during construction and ongoing complaints from nearby residents have made a comprehensive adjustment of the timeline unavoidable.

The city of Gwangju has been cautious in making announcements, citing concerns that frequent changes to the opening date could undermine public trust. However, after completing its internal review, the city has reportedly finalized its plan to aim for an opening at the end of 2027.

Kim Junyoung, Director of Citizen Safety at Gwangju City, stated at a broadcast debate on the 18th, "We will do our best to achieve the goal of opening at the end of 2027."

As of the end of October, the civil engineering progress rate for all six sections of Phase 1 of Line 2 stands between 92% and 99%. The city of Gwangju has promised to open the roads in the construction area by December 22, and the current road opening rate averages around 65%.

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