"Bujeon~Masan Double-Track Railway Should Also Stop at Jungni Station"

Residents of Masanhoewon-gu in Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam, have called for the inclusion of Jungni Station as a stop on the double-track railway connecting Bujeon Station in Busan and Masan in Changwon.

On the afternoon of November 25, city and provincial council members from Naeseo-eup in Masanhoewon-gu, including Jin Sangrak, Nam Jaeuk, and Jeong Heeseong, along with the Naeseo-eup Association Council and the Masan University Student Council, held a press conference at the Naeseo-eup Administrative Welfare Center.

They stated, "We urge the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the National Railroad Authority to designate Jungni Station as a stop on the Bujeon~Masan double-track railway," and added, "We call on Gyeongnam Province to take responsibility and actively engage in discussions with the central government."

A press conference urging the stop at Jungni Station on the Bujeon~Masan double-track railway is being held in front of the Naeseo-eup Administrative Welfare Center in Changwon-si, Gyeongnam. Photo by Lee Seryung

Jin Sangrak, a Gyeongnam Provincial Council member (People Power Party, Changwon 11), said, "Within a 2-kilometer radius of Jungni Station are Naeseo-eup and Masan University, and 80,000 residents are waiting for this railway," adding, "Once the self-sufficient administrative town is completed in Hoeseong-dong, Masan, 6,000 households and 13 public institutions will move in, which will further increase demand for the railway."

He emphasized, "This is not simply a request for a stop, but a matter of transportation rights for Naeseo-eup residents and Masan University members, as well as an issue of balanced regional development."

Jin further stated, "Having Jungni Station as a stop is not a choice but a necessity and common sense. With just one stop, the transportation map of Gyeongnam will change, and there will be more opportunities for the region's economy and education."

Jungni Station. Photo by Se Ryeong Lee

Jungni Station is a Gyeongjeon Line train station located in Naeseo-eup, Masanhoewon-gu, Changwon, with nearby infrastructure including the Naeseo Interchange (IC), the starting point of the Jungbu Inland Expressway, Jungni Industrial Complex, and Naeseo Residential District.

The Bujeon~Masan double-track railway is a rail line connecting nine sections from Bujeon Station in Busan, passing through Sinwol Station in Gimhae, Gyeongnam, to Masan Station in Changwon.

The project was initiated in 2014 and was scheduled to open in 2020, but just before completion, the tunnel under the Nakdong River collapsed, and it took more than five years to repair the damaged section. Additionally, the opening has been significantly delayed due to issues such as the need to construct additional evacuation passages.

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