SOUTH KOREA: Further expansion of the urban rail network around Seoul is under way with another section of the Great Train Express metro network opening, a long-disused part of the suburban rail network being revived and a further extension of the legacy metro network being approved.
GTX-A grows
Revenue services started on the 32·3 km northwestern section of GTX Line A in the Seoul area on December 28. The Unjeongjungang – Seoul Station route is the second segment of the line to open. The first, 28 km, southwestern section opened between Suseo and Dongtan in March 2024. A 22·8 km long section to connect the two sides is now under construction, along with lines B and C of the GTX network.
The Unjeongjungang – Seoul Station section serves five stations. Each of these are equipped with high speed elevators running at 150 m/min; these are capable of carrying 21 passengers.
Trains travel at speeds of up to 180 km/h and complete the Unjeongjungang – Seoul Station journey in 21 min 30 sec. Before GTX, an equivalent journey took on average 46 min by metro and 1 h 6 min by bus.
Seven eight-car Hyundai Rotem trainsets are being deployed on the route, providing a 10 min interval service from 05.30 to 01.00 daily.
‘The GTX-A line’s Unjeongjungang – Seoul Station section will not only greatly improve transportation convenience for residents in the northwestern part of the Seoul metropolitan area, but is also expected to become a new turning point for the regional economy and culture as a whole’, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Park Sang-woo said at the opening ceremony on December 27.
Line 9 extension approved
Meanwhile, the ministry approved plans for a 17·6 km extension of Seoul metro Line 9 north of the Han river on December 24.
The newly sanctioned route starts at Gangdong, to where Line 9 is currently being extended from its VHS Medical Centre terminus. The extension would then serve the Hanam, Namyangju and Jinjeop districts, serving eight stations, including interchanges to the Gyeongui-Jungang suburban rail line, the future GTX-B and the Jinjeop Line suburban service.
Total project cost is expected to be 2·8tr won and opening is planned for 2031.
Gyooe Line reopens
On the main line network, revenue services resumed on the Gyooe Line on January 11 after a gap of more than 20 years.
Linking Daegok in the northwestern suburbs with Uijeongbu on the northern edge of the capital, the 30·5 km Gyeonggi line opened in 1961, but operations ceased in April 2004 because of falling demand.
National operator Korail spent 49·7bn won on inspecting and then rebuilding the infrastructure, as well as on renovating the Mugunghwa loco-hauled cars being used on the line.
Four services a day run in each direction, completing the end-to-end journey in 50 min. There are plans to increase service frequencies in the medium term.
- A feature article about the delivery of the GTX project from the August 2024 issue of Railway Gazette International is available to subscribers.
