SOUTH KOREA: The government has given the go-ahead for construction from 2026 of the final Mungyeong – Gimcheon section of the Central Inland Line medium high speed corridor.
The 250 km/h, single-track Central Inland Line is being developed in phases to link Seoul with Gimcheon on the Seoul – Busan high speed line, via Chungju.
The Mungyeong – Gimcheon section will make use of 21·3 km of existing unelectrified line, which will be electrified and upgraded for higher speeds. Other sections will run on a new alignment, including tunnels, which will reduce the distance by rail between the two cities from 82·3 km to 69·8 km.
Construction is expected to cost 1 303bn won, and completion is planned by 2030.
Work on the Central Inland Line began in 2015. The first section between Icheon and Chungju opened in December 2021, and the 39 km section from Chungju to Mungyeong is under construction for completion in December 2023.
South of Gimcheon, there are plans to build a 350 km/h line to the island city of Geoje, which would be connected both to the Seoul – Busan high speed line and the Central Inland Line.
