Seoul City Begins Preparations for Railway Undergrounding "Space Plans for Each Line to Be Established Next Year"

With the enactment of the Special Act on Railway Undergrounding, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has begun preparations to underground the aboveground railways and develop the space above the railway sites. A spatial plan will be established in the first half of the year, and a pilot project will be proposed to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) in the second half.

Above-ground sections of national railroads within Seoul City (total 71.6km) (Data=Seoul City)

원본보기 아이콘

On the 25th, Seoul announced that it will commission a basic conceptual study in March to establish an urban spatial concept and development plan for the space above the aboveground railways.

The Special Act on Railway Undergrounding is a bill that primarily aims to underground the aboveground railways and develop the secured aboveground railway sites and their surroundings through national property investment, among other methods. It will be enforced starting January 31, 2025.

Once MOLIT establishes the mid- to long-term plan called the "Comprehensive Plan for Integrated Railway Undergrounding Development," Seoul will formulate the "Basic Plan for Integrated Railway Undergrounding Development" by route and then proceed with project implementation.

The city plans to swiftly prepare measures to realize railway undergrounding so that Seoul’s conditions can be reflected in the comprehensive plan established by MOLIT, including proposing the conceptual plan developed through the commissioned study to MOLIT.

Currently, a total of 71.6 km of national railway aboveground sections cross the city of Seoul. These cause issues such as noise, dust, and regional division due to the railway. The aboveground railways consist of station areas or sections with tracks at similar or lower levels than the surrounding areas, elevated tracks, or railroads.

Earlier, the "2040 Seoul Urban Master Plan" established in 2023 included a long-term plan to place the entire aboveground railway sections underground and to implement three-dimensional mixed-use developments consisting of green spaces, cultural, and commercial facilities on the aboveground sections.

The city intends to respond step-by-step in line with MOLIT’s railway undergrounding promotion schedule. It plans to establish a proactive spatial plan for all aboveground railway sections in Seoul in the first half of the year and propose pilot projects to MOLIT in the second half. In 2025, spatial plans by route will be prepared to be reflected in MOLIT’s comprehensive plan.

MOLIT plans to establish the comprehensive plan for integrated railway undergrounding development by 2025 and will receive proposals from local governments in September to select pilot railway undergrounding projects by the end of the year.

Accordingly, by next year, the city will establish development concepts for all aboveground railway sections and surrounding areas according to Seoul’s urban planning system and spatial structure, prepare three-dimensional mixed-use development plans such as undergrounding and decking by type, and conduct feasibility reviews by route. For sections requiring priority project implementation, the city plans to propose them as MOLIT pilot projects and begin basic plan formulation before the comprehensive plan is finalized.

A task force including 15 autonomous districts containing aboveground railway sections will be formed, and the city will actively listen to and gather public opinion from local residents and stakeholders during the process. An advisory group of experts from various fields such as urban planning, architecture, landscaping, transportation, railways, and real estate will be organized to incorporate expert opinions from the early stages and set the direction for the basic concept plan for the areas surrounding the railway undergrounding.

On the 12th, when the weather was clear, citizens are enjoying a walk at Gyeongui Line Forest Park in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

원본보기 아이콘

The city plans to appropriately configure the undergrounded areas into future-oriented hub spaces and open spaces for citizens, transforming them into new strategic spaces for Seoul. It will refer to domestic and international cases where aboveground railways were undergrounded and the upper spaces developed and utilized, such as the Gyeongui Line Forest Trail, which was created by undergrounding the Gyeongui Line railway and turning the existing track section into a linear park, and Paris’s Rive Gauche, where railway sites were decked over and developed into strategic spaces. Both cases revitalized the city and achieved positive effects such as job creation and urban space improvement.

Jo Nam-jun, head of Seoul’s Urban Space Headquarters, said, "Railway undergrounding will bring about a major transformation of urban space, different from the urban development and urban renewal projects previously carried out in Seoul. We will ensure that the swift response to aboveground railway undergrounding and Seoul’s urban transformation lead to enhanced urban competitiveness, regional development, and expanded spaces for citizens."

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.