Gwangju Mayor Bang Se-hwan Welcomes Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Private Investment Feasibility Study for 'Jamsil-Gwangju-Cheongju Airport Metropolitan Express Railway'

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Eom In-yong] Gwangju Mayor Bang Se-hwan expressed deep welcome on the 22nd for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's official request to the Korea Development Institute (KDI) to conduct a private investment feasibility study for the 'Jamsil-Gwangju-Cheongju Airport Metropolitan Express Railway' project.

The city interpreted this decision as highly significant in that the route has established a foundation for full-scale project implementation.

Mayor Bang stated, "Until now, the city has made all-out efforts to devise countermeasures in response to rapid urban growth and worsening traffic conditions, and with the continuous residential development in Taejeon and Gosan districts, the population is growing rapidly, but the road-centered transportation system has already reached saturation, increasing inconvenience for citizens," and added, "The lack of a direct rail connection to downtown Seoul has long been a wish of our residents."

He further stated, "The city, together with Yongin City, has proposed the extension of the Gyeonggang Line in the 5th National Railroad Network Construction Plan, and with Seongnam City has advanced the Wiryeseong-Samdong Line project to the preliminary feasibility study stage. In March, we directly visited the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Korea Transport Institute to propose reviews of the Wiryeseong-Samdong Line, Gyeonggang Line extension, and alternative new route construction," emphasizing the city's swift progress.

Mayor Bang particularly emphasized, "If this metropolitan express railway route is realized, the accessibility of Gwangju citizens to Seoul will be greatly enhanced, commute times will be significantly reduced, and it is expected to bring various effects including diversification of Gwangju's traffic infrastructure, balanced regional development, and economic revitalization, while serving as an opportunity to further elevate Gwangju's status within the national railroad network."

Mayor Bang continued, "If this project passes the private investment feasibility study, it will go through procedures such as ▲strategic environmental impact assessment ▲third-party announcement ▲preferred consortium selection and then begin construction. Compared to individually pursued lines such as Gyeonggang Line extension, Wiryeseong-Samdong Line, and Metropolitan Inland Line, administrative procedures will be shortened and the project is expected to proceed more rapidly."

Mayor Bang concluded, "This private investment feasibility study request represents the long-cherished aspiration of our residents and an important turning point for national railroad network expansion. Gwangju City plans to actively cooperate with KDI to ensure the study proceeds smoothly," he emphasized.