Uijeongbu Discloses Progress on 'Dobongsan to Okjeong Metropolitan Railroad'

Uijeongbu City disclosed on the 16th the progress to date regarding the "Dobongsan to Okjeong Metropolitan Railroad" construction project, including the process of formulating the city's consultation opinions, demonstrating its commitment to implement all possible measures to ensure the city's views are reflected.

The "Dobongsan to Okjeong Metropolitan Railroad" project began in 2007 with a basic research service through the Korea Transportation Research Institute on "Selection of Uijeongbu City's Railroad Lines," and has been pursued for balanced development of the city and northern Gyeonggi region.

Over the past 10 years, through three preliminary feasibility studies, the project failed to meet the B/C ratio, which is a critical foundation for project implementation, requiring concessions on many fronts including single-track lines, route changes for line shortening, and reduction of newly constructed stations.

Following approval of the preliminary feasibility study, during the process of establishing feasibility evaluation and basic plans under provincial initiative, residents of Jangam·Singok district and Minlak 1·2 district filed a flood of petitions requesting additional station construction.

In response, the city conducted its own service studies and established an advisory committee of eight railroad and transportation experts, presenting eight alternative routes to Gyeonggi Province through three separate sessions.

However, the project encountered the Ministry of Strategy and Finance's guidelines on total project cost management, which requires meeting the B/C ratio and prohibits increases exceeding 20% of total project cost.

The city's basic policy is that station construction in Jangam·Singok district, which currently has a population of approximately 50,000, and Minlak 1·2 district, which will have approximately 100,000 residents including Gosan district by 2025, is essential.

Uijeongbu City's consultation opinion is to set the route as Dobongsan to Jangam Station (existing) to Tapseok (transfer) to [Minlak] to Okjeong (a 19.3% increase compared to the preliminary feasibility study), and considering that once a route for an underground railroad project is decided and construction begins, it is difficult to change, the city presented the opinion to install stations within Minlak 1·2 district in the future and extend the line at least.

Gyeonggi Province is requesting approval in January with a basic plan considering B/C ratio and total project cost. While the province plans to consult with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport regarding Uijeongbu City's consultation opinion as a review alternative, the ministry has taken a negative stance on the basic plan that represents a 10.1% increase compared to the preliminary feasibility study, and the province expressed skepticism that accepting Uijeongbu City's opinion would be difficult.

Mayor Ahn Byeong-yong stated, "I will meet with regional National Assembly members and the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (and the Minister of Strategy and Finance) to demand the city's opinion, while continuously reporting to provincial and municipal council members on the project and transparently disclosing the metropolitan railroad construction progress to residents, making every effort to ensure that the metropolitan railroad desired by citizens is constructed."