Gwangmyeong Mayor Park Seung-won Urges Transport Minister Kim Yoon-deok to Accelerate 'Sincheon-Haan-Seonim Line' Project

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Yu Je-seong] Gwangmyeong Mayor Park Seung-won met with Transport Minister Kim Yoon-deok and urged the inclusion and expedited implementation of the 'Sincheon-Haan-Seonim Line' in the National Railroad Network Construction Plan.

On the afternoon of the 3rd, Mayor Park met with Minister Kim at the Minister's office on the 5th floor of the National Land Development Exhibition Hall in Jeongdong, Seoul, and delivered a 'Joint Petition for Reflecting the Sincheon-Haan-Seonim Line in the 5th National Railroad Network Construction Plan and Expedited Implementation' together with Siheung Mayor Lim Byeong-taek, Gwanak District Chief Park Jun-hee, and Geumcheon District Chief Yoo Sung-hun.

This petition reflects the common resolve of four local governments that the implementation of the Sincheon-Haan-Seonim Line is urgent in order to resolve traffic congestion in the southwestern Seoul metropolitan area.

The Sincheon-Haan-Seonim Line is a route that departs from Sincheon Station in Siheung, passes through the Gwangmyeong-Siheung Third New City and Haan-dong, and connects to Doksan and Seonim in Seoul. It is evaluated as a key metropolitan railway network that will dramatically improve Seoul accessibility in the southwestern Seoul metropolitan area and is currently awaiting inclusion in the Transport Ministry's 5th National Railroad Network Construction Plan.

Mayor Park emphasized, "The southwestern Seoul metropolitan area is already experiencing severe traffic congestion, and explosive growth in transportation demand is expected due to large-scale development projects such as the Gwangmyeong-Siheung Third New City. To distribute and accommodate this demand, the Sincheon-Haan-Seonim Line must be included in the 5th National Railroad Network Construction Plan without fail."

Additionally, Mayor Park urged the early implementation of the 'Southwestern Seoul Metropolitan Area Private Investment Project for Metropolitan Railway (working title)' which includes the Sincheon-Haan-Seonim Line as a major route, in addition to the inclusion in the National Railroad Network Construction Plan, to accelerate project progress.

Unlike fiscal projects, private investment projects have the advantage of faster implementation speed and earlier opening, as they replace preliminary feasibility studies with private investment eligibility reviews in the administrative process.

Mayor Park stated, "The expansion of metropolitan transportation infrastructure in southwestern Seoul is the earnest desire of 1.5 million residents in the southwestern Seoul metropolitan area, including Gwangmyeong citizens," and requested, "Please expedite all administrative procedures, including consideration of private investment methods, for the speedy implementation of the Sincheon-Haan-Seonim Line."

Meanwhile, on this day, Mayor Park also delivered requested matters on local issues in Gwangmyeong and requested active cooperation from the central government.

The main requested matters are △regular train stops at Hakwon Station on the Wolgot-Pangyo Line △early construction of four roads toward Seoul in the Gwangmyeong-Siheung New City △revision of the district unit plan for K-Arena attraction △LH acquisition of rental housing sites in Block A1 of the Gurumsan District △redevelopment and renovation of aging rental apartments in Haan 13 Complex.

In response, Minister Kim stated, "Including the reflection of the Sincheon-Haan-Seonim Line in the National Railroad Network Construction Plan and consideration of private investment project methods, I will carefully examine at the working level so that Gwangmyeong's major issues can be reasonably implemented in connection with new city development and metropolitan transportation measures."