Nowon District Mayor Oh Seung-rok Achieves Success in Efforts to Extend KTX to Uijeongbu

Suseo-origin KTX (SRT) to Busan and Mokpo Expected to Be Available from Northeast Seoul... Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Includes SRT Connection Plan in GTX-C Line Basic Plan Announced on the 22nd... Oh Seung-rok, District Mayor, and Northeast Seoul Local Leaders and Lawmakers Formed 'KTX Metropolitan Northeast Extension Preparation Committee' in December Last Year, Making Tireless Efforts

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] It is expected that the Suseo-origin KTX (SRT) bound for Busan and Mokpo will also be accessible from the northeastern part of Seoul.

On the 16th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's designation of the GTX-C line as a private investment project and the basic facility project plan (RFP) passed the Private Investment Project Deliberation Committee (MinTuSim).

The metropolitan area express railroad GTX-C line covers a 74.8 km section from Deokjeong, Yangju, Gyeonggi Province to Suwon. The railway will be constructed at a depth of over 40 meters underground, connecting major hubs with a straight line route, providing ultra-high-speed rail service with a maximum speed of 200 km/h (operational maximum speed 180 km/h).

The plan is to allow the SRT to run on the GTX-C line, extending the current SRT terminus at Suseo Station to Samsung Station, and eventually connecting to Uijeongbu along the GTX-C line.

Following the announcement of the basic facility project plan (RFP) for the C line by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, a call for private sector operators will be held this month, with a preferred negotiation partner selected by May next year. Early construction will be promoted through concurrent negotiations and detailed design.

The 'KTX Uijeongbu extension project' has faced many twists and turns. In 2016, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport applied for a preliminary feasibility study on the GTX-C line, including securing a branch line between Suseo and Samsung to extend and operate the SRT to Uijeongbu. Although the feasibility study passed in 2018, the Ministry effectively withdrew the plan to extend the SRT to Uijeongbu afterward.

This was due to the difference in height between GTX and SRT trains, making it impossible to use the same platform, and concerns over deteriorating profitability.

The Ministry also withdrew the design plan for the branch line between Suseo and Samsung necessary for connecting the SRT to the GTX-C line and decided not to install an SRT station at the Samsung Station complex transfer center.

In response, local government heads and members of the National Assembly from northeastern Seoul, including District Mayor Oh Seung-rok, formed the 'KTX Metropolitan Area Northeast Extension Preparation Committee' in December last year, making strenuous efforts to extend the SRT line to Uijeongbu.

Mayor Oh cited national balanced development and user equity as reasons for the necessity of the line extension.

"Currently, metropolitan area high-speed rail has hub stations only in the southern metropolitan area such as Seoul, Yongsan, Gwangmyeong, and Suseo stations. Residents of the northeastern Seoul area, which accounts for 13% of the metropolitan population (3.2 million people), must go to Seoul Station or Yongsan Station to take the KTX. Even after the GTX-C line is completed, they must travel via Samsung Station to Suseo Station, making it inconvenient. From the perspective of national balanced development, extending the SRT line to Uijeongbu is essential," he stated. Regarding economic and technical aspects, he added, "The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's 'GTX-C Preliminary Feasibility Study Report' from December 2018 showed a business case (BC: 1.36) when jointly promoting GTX-C and KTX Uijeongbu extension projects, and extension to Uijeongbu is possible without a separate KTX platform."

This is because the new train model (EMU-250), developed in 2017 and scheduled for nationwide deployment from 2020, can share the GTX platform.

As a result, about 400 billion KRW in KTX platform construction costs can also be saved, which is an advantage.

A district official said, "Holding policy forums, forming the preparation committee, meeting with the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in May this year, and presenting alternatives from the perspectives of national balanced development and economic and technical aspects were effective."

District Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, "The KTX Uijeongbu extension project is a project that must be promoted promptly from the perspective of national balanced development, so I welcome this decision," and added, "We will do our best for the KTX Uijeongbu extension to develop 'Changdong-Sanggye New Economic Center' as the central city of northeastern Seoul, including the construction of the Changdong K-POP dedicated performance hall, development of the Kwangwoon University station area, and creation of a bio-industry complex on the sites of Changdong train depot and the driver's license test center."