KTX Available Throughout Gyeonggi Province by 2020

Gyeonggi Province will pursue the 'All-Connected KTX Project' to enable all residents to easily access KTX service throughout the province by 2020.

Seo Sang-gyo, director of the Gyeonggi Province Railroad and Logistics Bureau, announced at a work report session chaired by First Vice-Governor Park Su-young on the 15th that "we will link existing completed railways with planned railway networks and add some new KTX routes to enable province residents to easily access KTX."

By 2020, Gyeonggi Province plans to expand KTX stations to include Haengsin Station in the northwest, Gwangmyeong Station in the west, Uijeongbu Station in the north, Jije Station in the south, and Suwon and Dongtan stations in the central region. By connecting these stations to local rail networks, the province aims to increase KTX users from the current 3.05 million to 10.25 million.

Accordingly, the province plans to propose to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport the construction of a 4.5km direct connection line linking the Gyeongbu Line track at Pyeongtaek Seojongri Station with the Jije Station KTX line this year. According to a feasibility study conducted by Gyeonggi Province since May of last year, the project cost is estimated at approximately 280 billion won, with a B/C ratio of 1.06, indicating feasibility.

Once the direct connection line is completed, KTX vehicles will be able to use the KTX line starting from Jije Station instead of using the Gyeongbu Line track until Daejeon Station as before, reducing travel time between Suwon and Daejeon from the current 67 minutes to 48 minutes, a savings of 19 minutes.

The province will also pursue extending the Metropolitan KTX line connecting Pyeongtaek and Suseo. Gyeonggi Province will prepare a plan to extend the Pyeongtaek-Suseo KTX line to Uijeongbu to be shared with the GTX (Metropolitan Express Railway) C Line (Uijeongbu-Geumdung) that the province has proposed and will recommend it to the government.

The newly planned KTX-GTX shared section spans 25.1km from Samsung Station to Uijeongbu, with feasibility studies currently underway by the province. Since the Korea Railroad Facility Corporation is also conducting feasibility studies on the Uijeongbu extension, the province plans to actively coordinate with relevant ministries to enable it to proceed in parallel with the GTX C Line.

The province will also pursue the construction of a multi-layered rail network connecting already completed or planned railway networks with KTX stations.

Gyeonggi Province plans to link KTX stations as follows: ▲Suil Line (scheduled for completion in 2015) with Suwon Station, ▲Gyeongwon Line (Sinthanliri-Cheolwon, scheduled for 2016) with Uijeongbu Station, ▲Seoseung-Pyeongtaek Line (2019) with Jije Station, ▲Indeokwon-Suwon Line (2020) with Dongtan Station, ▲Seongnam-Yeoju (2015), Sinansan Line (2018), and Wolgot-Pangyo Line (2022) with Gwangmyeong Station, and ▲Gyeongui Line (completed in 2009) and GTX A Line (2020) with Haengsin Station to enable residents throughout Gyeonggi Province to access KTX.

The Railroad and Logistics Bureau also announced that the Hanam Line, connecting Seoul's Sangildong Station on Line 5 to Changudong in Hanam City, will commence construction this year, and basic plans for the Byeolnae Line, connecting Seoul's Amsa Station on Line 8 to Byeolnaejyeok in Namyangju, will be prepared.

For the Hanam Line, the province plans to begin procurement in the first half of this year and commence construction in the second half. For the Byeolnae Line, the province plans to announce the basic plan in the second half of this year and target construction commencement next year.

Seo Sang-gyo, director of Gyeonggi Province's Railroad and Logistics Bureau, stated, "The Hanam and Byeolnae lines are significant in that they are the first railroad projects directly undertaken by Gyeonggi Province," adding, "With 241.1 billion won in project costs being invested, we will make efforts to ensure smooth construction."