Guri City Designates 3km Section of Gyeongchun Line in Galmat-dong as 'Transportation Noise Management Zone'

[Suwon Ilbo=Um In-yong] Guri City has taken proactive steps to protect residential environments in preparation for the opening of GTX-B.

The city announced that, as train operations on the Gyeongchun Line are expected to increase significantly following the opening of the metropolitan express railway GTX-B, it will designate approximately 3km around the Gyeongchun Line in Galmat-dong as a transportation noise (railroad) management zone as of the 22nd in accordance with Article 27 of the Noise and Vibration Management Act.

The designation of this management zone was pursued due to concerns that train operation frequency will surge as the GTX-B line will share the Gyeongchun Line as a common section after opening, with resulting railroad noise damage concentrated on residents in residential areas.

In particular, the designation reflects strong support and continuous requests from residents of Galmat-dong.

In the designated management zone, if railroad noise and vibration exceed the management standards of 70 decibels (dB) during daytime and 60 decibels (dB) at night, residents can request relevant agencies to install soundproof walls and vibration reduction facilities based on legal grounds.

Accordingly, the city plans to cooperate with Korea Railroad Corporation and Korea Rail Network Authority, the facility management organizations, to ensure rapid noise reduction measures are implemented.

Meanwhile, as train operations on the Gyeongchun Line common section are expected to increase significantly with the opening of the GTX-B line, resulting in anticipated changes to the railroad noise environment in residential areas near Galmat-dong, the city plans to conduct quarterly transportation noise (railroad) monitoring until the completion of the project in 2033 for systematic management.

A city official stated, "The designation of a transportation noise management zone is a proactive response to concerns about quality-of-life noise and vibration damage from residents due to increased train operation frequency as the GTX-B line will share the Gyeongchun Line in Galmat-dong," adding, "We will do our best to protect the comfortable and stable living environment for residents of Galmat-dong."