Yongin Mayor Lee Sang-il Urges Early Construction of 'Central Region Metropolitan Express Railway (JTX)'

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Choi Ki-ho] Yongin Special City Mayor Lee Sang-il on the 14th called for active interest and support from relevant government agencies including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Development Institute (KDI) for early construction of the Central Region Metropolitan Express Railway (JTX), which is expected to connect the Seoul Metropolitan Area and the central region and resolve transportation imbalances between regions.

The mayor emphasized at the 'Central Region Metropolitan Express Railway (JTX) Early Construction Promotion Resolution Conference' held at Cheongju International Airport's passenger terminal that the private investment feasibility study commissioned by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to the Korea Development Institute in August should be processed quickly so that early construction for the new railway can be implemented.

The resolution conference was attended by seven local governments including Yongin Special City, through which the 'Central Region Metropolitan Express Railway' line passes, as well as ▲Seongnam City ▲Gwangju City ▲Hwaseong City ▲Anseong City ▲Jincheon County ▲Cheongju City.

The seven cities participating in the resolution conference stated through a joint proposal that the 'Central Region Metropolitan Express Railway (JTX)' connecting the Seoul Metropolitan Area and the central region is a key metropolitan transit infrastructure that can resolve transportation imbalances between regions and alleviate the overcrowding issue in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, and can contribute to airport revitalization through major national project promotion and improved access to Cheongju International Airport.

Furthermore, as a route linking the 'Gyeonggang Line Extension' and the 'Seoul Metropolitan Inland Line' connecting the southeastern Seoul Metropolitan Area and the central region, the cities recommended active interest and cooperation from relevant agencies so that the railway project can be realized early through rapid approval of the KDI private investment feasibility study and prompt subsequent administrative procedures, given that it can play an important role in balanced development of the national railway network and revitalization of regional economies.

Mayor Lee Sang-il said, "The construction of the Central Region Metropolitan Express Railway will not only resolve the long-held aspiration of residents in Cheoin-gu, Yongin Special City who have long advocated for the Gyeonggang Line Extension and hoped for the railway line to be established, but is also very necessary for the development of the semiconductor industry, including the successful establishment of the Yongin Idong·Namsa-eup Advanced System Semiconductor National Industrial Complex, which will determine South Korea's future competitiveness," and added, "I hope the KDI private investment feasibility study will proceed quickly so that the project can be approved promptly, and I hope that subsequent administrative procedures such as strategic environmental impact assessments will also be carried out quickly so that the railway line can be constructed early."

The mayor said, "When the Central Region Metropolitan Express Railway is constructed, Yongin citizens will be able to reach Jamsil in Seoul and Cheongju International Airport within 30 minutes from a station to be built near City Hall, and since the railway line will also be connected from Cheongju International Airport to Oseong Station, Yongin citizens will be able to use KTX and SRT at Oseong Station, significantly improving transportation convenience for Yongin citizens," and emphasized, "Since this line also connects semiconductor clusters, it will greatly help strengthen the competitiveness of the semiconductor industry."

The mayor said, "The Central Region Metropolitan Express Railway will play a very important role in connecting transportation between Seoul, the Seoul Metropolitan Area, and Chungcheong Province, and will provide considerable convenience for the movement of semiconductor industry talent between clusters and related logistics, contributing greatly to regional and industrial development and talent cultivation in the seven cities and counties through which the line passes," and added, "I hope the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, KDI, and other relevant agencies will actively work to enable the Central Region Metropolitan Express Railway, which will greatly contribute to national and regional development, to be constructed soon."

The 'Central Region Metropolitan Express Railway (JTX)' is a metropolitan express railway project totaling 135 kilometers connecting Jamsil in Seoul, Gwangju, Yongin, Anseong, Jincheon, Cheongju International Airport, and Oseong Station, a stop for KTX and SRT.

In November of last year, a private operator submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and in August of last year, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport formally requested the 'Korea Development Institute (KDI)' to conduct a private investment project feasibility study. The 'Central Region Metropolitan Express Railway (JTX)', for which project costs of approximately 9 trillion won are anticipated, is being pursued through a mixed private investment method combining revenue-based (BTO) and lease-based (BTL) models.

The 'Central Region Metropolitan Express Railway (JTX)', evaluated as a key transportation network connecting Seoul, the Seoul Metropolitan Area, and Chungcheong Province, is expected to provide momentum for the promotion of the 'Gyeonggang Line Extension (Gwangju Station in Gyeonggi Province to Yongin Idong·Namsa)' railway project and the 'Dongtan~Bubal Line' (Dongtan Station to Idong to Wonsam to Bucheon Bubal in Icheon) project that Yongin Special City is focusing on.

The 'Central Region Metropolitan Express Railway (JTX)' line includes the 'Gyeonggang Line Extension' section and passes through the 'Yongin Advanced System Semiconductor Cluster National Industrial Complex' located in Cheoin-gu Idong·Namsa-eup, which will become a key hub for South Korea's semiconductor industry. The city plans to be able to connect the 'Gyeonggang Line Extension' line and the 'Dongtan~Bubal Line' centered on the 'Yongin Advanced System Semiconductor Cluster National Industrial Complex'.