The Southern Inland Railroad Stations and Route Will Be Finalized Within This Year

This Year’s Basic Plan Finalized, Full-Scale Design to Begin in January Next Year

Planned Route of the Southern Inland Railroad.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Saeyan] The station and route of the Southern Inland Railway (Western Gyeongnam KTX), which was the first pledge of former Gyeongnam Governor Kim Kyung-soo, are expected to be finalized within this year.

Gyeongnam Province announced on the 2nd that it plans to finalize and announce the basic plan for the Southern Inland Railway construction project within this year by collaborating with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to shorten the administrative processing period as much as possible.

Consultations with related administrative agencies (ministries) and local governments will be completed by the end of August, and in September, discussions on the total project cost will begin with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, aiming to finalize the basic plan by December.

To this end, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is currently consulting with related agencies, including the Ministry of Environment for strategic environmental impact assessment and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety for disaster impact review.

The province is focusing its administrative capabilities on shortening the consultation period by visiting related agencies such as the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and Ministry of Economy and Finance.

At the expanded economic ministers' meeting chaired by the President in June, it was announced that 13 projects, including the Southern Inland High-Speed Railway, will be promptly promoted so that the basic plans and design-related procedures can be completed within this year.

Since November 2019, with the basic plan for the Southern Inland Railway expected to be completed this year, the total budget for design fees is 83.5 billion won, and full-scale basic and detailed design work is expected to begin in January next year.

Meanwhile, the Southern Inland Railway construction project is a 173.29 km KTX line project connecting the western Gyeongnam region, which is underdeveloped in railway transportation services, with the metropolitan area.