Gwangju City Welcomes Approval of Implementation Plan for Priority Construction Section of Suseo–Gwangju Double-Track Railway Project

On April 17, Gwangju City in Gyeonggi Province expressed its welcome after the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport approved and officially announced the implementation plan for the ‘Suseo–Gwangju Double-Track Railway Construction Project (Sections 2 and 3, priority construction section)’. The city stated that “the final gateway toward establishing a 13-minute living zone to the Gangnam area has been crossed.” The city considers this approval to be a stepping stone toward improving the transportation environment in southeastern metropolitan area and achieving balanced regional development.

Gwangju City Hall view. Provided by Gyeonggi Gwangju City

The section that received approval for the implementation plan is the segment from Bokjeong-dong, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam City to Yeok-dong in Gwangju City (Gyeonggi Gwangju Station), which is the part of Gyeonggi Province where construction can begin as a priority. The city expects that, following the relevant licensing procedures, construction will be able to commence in May.

In particular, the announcement of the implementation plan approval is expected to mark the transition of the Suseo–Gwangju double-track railway project into a full-fledged execution phase. Upon completion, travel time from Gyeonggi Gwangju Station to Suseo Station will be reduced to between 10 and 13 minutes, and connectivity with the SRT and GTX-A lines operating at Suseo Station is expected to enhance accessibility to key locations both within the metropolitan area and nationwide. Additionally, by linking with the Gyeonggang Line, Gwangju City is expected to further strengthen its position as a transportation and economic hub in the southeastern part of the metropolitan area.

However, for issues raised in neighboring areas, the city plans to closely cooperate with relevant agencies to promote smooth coordination and to actively support the national railway project so that it can proceed on a foundation of mutual benefit.

A Gwangju City official stated, “This approval of the implementation plan will serve as the starting point for Gwangju City to become a central transportation hub with extensive rail connectivity. We will focus our administrative efforts to ensure the project proceeds safely and smoothly, and we also hope that the yet-to-be-approved sections will be resolved amicably so that the entire line can be connected as soon as possible.”

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