Dongtan 2nd Phase 'Tram' to Operate in 2027

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] The urban railway (tram) project connecting Dongtan 2nd New Town in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, and Osan area is set to be actively promoted.

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 12th that it issued a bid announcement for the 'Dongtan Urban Railway Feasibility Study and Basic Plan Establishment Service' through the Public Procurement Service on the 9th, and has entered administrative procedures for timely opening in 2027.

The Dongtan urban railway (tram) project involves a total project cost of 996.7 billion KRW, introducing trams and 34 stations over two sections totaling 32.35 km: Banwol in Hwaseong to Osan (14.82 km) and Byeongjeom Station to Dongtan 2 New Town (17.53 km).

In particular, this project has attracted much attention since its planning stage as it will introduce trams, an eco-friendly new transportation mode, for the first time in the province as part of the metropolitan traffic improvement measures for the Hwaseong Dongtan 2nd New Town land development project.

Trams are streetcars that run on tracks on the road, combining the punctuality of the 'subway' and the accessibility of the 'bus'.

This basic plan service will be conducted through competitive international bidding. After selecting qualified bidders through a pre-qualification review and evaluating technical proposals, the service is expected to proceed around March.

The province plans to establish optimal facility and operation plans through this service so that residents of Hwaseong Dongtan and Osan areas can use railway services more conveniently.

To this end, alternative selection, technical review, traffic demand forecasting, and economic feasibility will be thoroughly examined, and expert advice as well as opinions from related organizations such as Hwaseong City, Osan City, and LH will be actively collected.

Starting with the commencement of the service, the province will prepare a draft basic plan within this year through consultations with related organizations and aims to finalize and announce the basic plan in the first half of next year, planning to apply for approval of the basic plan from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport around December.

Hong Ji-seon, Director of the Province's Railway, Port and Logistics Bureau, promised, "Above all, the key is to build a transportation system that residents are satisfied with and can use. We will devote ourselves to preparing the basic plan to set an example for follow-up projects and open a successful tram era."