Tram Connecting Mangpo-Dongtang-Osan in Suwon to Be Accelerated

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] Osan City announced on the 4th that the Dongtang Urban Railway construction project has passed the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's central investment screening for local finance.

This outcome comes approximately six months after the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport approved the basic plan for Dongtang Urban Railway (Mangpo~Dongtang~Osan) last year.

It has been seven months since the city received a notice for reconsideration in August due to operational plan and funding sources for operating expenses.

The Dongtang Tram project will be pursued with Hwaseong City taking the lead in design, construction, and operation, while Osan City and Suwon City provide cooperation.

Once the tram is constructed between Osan and Dongtang, it is expected that transfer connections with SRT, GTX-A line, and Indeokwon line will greatly improve citizens' accessibility to Gangnam and Sadang areas and commuting convenience.

The city has conducted continuous consultations with Hwaseong City and Suwon City, co-promoting municipalities, to ensure the central investment screening by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety could pass.

Additionally, the city has made efforts including receiving approval of a city council resolution in December on the business cost sharing plan for the Dongtang Urban Railway master plan.

With this central investment screening passing, the Dongtang Urban Railway is scheduled to break ground on two routes—from Mangpo to Osan and from Byeongjeom to Dongtang—in 2024 and open in December 2027.

Osan City Mayor Kwak Sang-wook said, "As the Dongtang Urban Railway project is now on the right track, we will do our best to ensure construction begins in 2024," and added, "We plan to provide continuous cooperation and administrative support with relevant organizations including Gyeonggi Province, Hwaseong City, and Suwon City so that the tram project can be completed in 2027."

Meanwhile, the Dongtang Urban Railway is a 34.2-kilometer internal circular route connecting major railroads centered on Dongtang Station (SRT·GTX), and is attracting attention as an eco-friendly public transportation system with high employment effects.