Byeolnae Line Opens in Namyangju...Service Begins from First Train on 10th

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Eom In-yong] Namyangju and Guri cities held consecutive opening ceremonies for the Byeolnae Line (Amsa-Byeolnae) double-track metro line that directly connects Byeolnae with Jamsil, and began service from the first train at 5:32 a.m. on the 10th.

The Byeolnae Line (Amsa-Byeolnae) starts from Amsa Station in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, the existing terminus, passes through Dasan Station in Namyangju, and connects six stations to Byeolnae Station, with a total length of 12.8 kilometers.

The opening ceremony held at Byeolnae Station on the 9th was attended by Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Namyangju Mayor Ju Gwang-deok, Guri Mayor Baek Kyung-hyun, National Assembly members, city and provincial council members, and local residents.

With the opening of the Byeolnae Line, travel time from Byeolnae Station to Jamsil Station has been reduced from approximately 44 minutes with two transfers to 27 minutes without transfers, a reduction of nearly 20 minutes, and citizens' accessibility to Seoul is expected to improve significantly.

Mayor Ju Gwang-deok said, "The opening of the Byeolnae Line has the effect of shortening commute times to the Gangnam area, and has even greater significance in that it expands connections of north-south axis railway lines in addition to the existing east-west axis railway network," and added, "When Line 9 extension and the GTX-B line are completed in the future, Namyangju is expected to establish itself as a genuine transportation hub city in the metropolitan area."

Subsequently, Guri City held an 'Line 8 extension opening ceremony' with citizens at the Guri Station transfer waiting room at 5 p.m. the same day.

Guri Mayor Baek Kyung-hyun said, "Thanks to the support and cooperation of Guri citizens who endured the damage caused by construction noise, dust, and traffic inconvenience, the Line 8 extension has finally opened today," and added, "We will continue to operate it well so citizens can use it without inconvenience, and in particular, we will do our best in safety management to prevent accidents caused by the escalators in the Guri Station transfer passage, which is the longest in the country."