President Yoon: "From This Year, the Full-Scale GTX Era Begins... Closing the Transportation Gap"

by Seo Sojeong

Published 25 Jan.2024 10:15(KST)

Updated 26 Jan.2024 07:50(KST)

The Sixth Minsaeng Discussion Meeting Held

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol announced that he will open the full-scale GTX era starting this year by ensuring the smooth progress of the Metropolitan Area Express Railway (GTX) project. The goal is to address the commuting traffic congestion in the metropolitan area and the lack of transportation infrastructure in local regions, aiming for a 30-minute commute era.

On the 25th, President Yoon held the sixth public discussion forum titled "30-Minute Commute Era, Resolving Transportation Disparities" at the main auditorium of Uijeongbu City Hall in Gyeonggi Province, revealing plans to usher in the full-scale GTX era starting this year.

In his opening remarks, President Yoon stated, "Through the smooth advancement of the GTX project, we will realize the '30-minute commute era' promised to the people during the presidential election. Additionally, we will promote the metropolitan express railway (tentatively named the x-TX project) in four major metropolitan areas?Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam, Daegu-Gyeongbuk, Daejeon-Sejong-Chungcheong, and Gwangju-Jeonnam?so that local regions can also enjoy GTX high-speed metropolitan express railway services."

He also emphasized, "To solve the chronic traffic problems in new towns, we will concentrate an investment of 11 trillion won in transportation improvement measures in the metropolitan area. By undergrounding urban spaces divided by roads and railways, we will immediately begin establishing a comprehensive plan utilizing the 'Special Act on Railway Undergrounding,' which passed the National Assembly on the 10th, and will also promote pilot projects."