This Year, 806 Billion KRW Invested in 9 Railway Construction Projects in Yeongnam Region

Enhancing Transportation Convenience in Metropolitan Living Areas... Foothold for Continental Railway

Construction Project Route Map and Project Effects in the Yeongnam Region

On the 20th, the Korea Rail Network Authority announced that it will invest 806 billion KRW this year in nine railway construction projects in the Yeongnam region to expand the national railway network and enhance public transportation convenience.

It plans to expedite the early execution of 498.9 billion KRW, accounting for 61.9% of the total project cost, in the first half of this year to lead the revitalization of the regional economy and job creation, which have been stagnant due to COVID-19.

First, it will push for the completion of five projects, including the Ulsan New Port Access Railway. The Ulsan New Port Access Railway and four other railway construction projects in the southeastern region (Busan?Ulsan, Ulsan?Pohang, Daegu Line, Yeongcheon?Singyeongju) were opened in 2020 and 2021 respectively, and trains are currently operating on these lines.

This year, 163.1 billion KRW will be invested in finishing works such as demolition of existing line structures for landscape improvement and safety assurance, and installation of screen doors. The related procedures, including the handover of alternative public facilities to local governments, will be completed, with final project completion scheduled by 2023.

The Ulsan New Port Access Railway is a single-track railway connecting Mangyang Station in Ulsan City to Ulsan New Port over 9.3 km, transporting port cargo including containers to major trunk railways.

The Donghae Line railway construction, a foothold for continental railway connection, is also expected to accelerate.

The Yeongnam region general railway projects will focus their efforts on establishing the East Coast line, a key link for continental railway connection, by investing 593.1 billion KRW this year in the Donghae Line Pohang?Samcheok construction project (259.5 billion KRW) and the Pohang?Donghae electrification project (333.6 billion KRW).

The Donghae Line Pohang?Samcheok railway construction project is a single-track railway construction project connecting Pohang in Gyeongsangbuk-do to Samcheok in Gangwon-do over 166.3 km, with a total project cost of 3.4152 trillion KRW.

The first phase, the Pohang?Yeongdeok section, opened in 2018. This year, the second phase, the Yeongdeok?Samcheok section, is sequentially completing subgrade works and actively advancing track and system construction.

The Donghae Line Pohang?Donghae electrification project involves electrifying the 172.8 km single-track non-electrified section connecting Pohang in Gyeongsangbuk-do to Donghae in Gangwon-do. This year, track, building, and system works across the entire section will be actively promoted, and it is scheduled to open simultaneously with the Donghae Line Pohang?Samcheok railway construction project in 2024.

Once the electrification project is completed, travel time from Pohang to Samcheok will be reduced to 55 minutes, cutting 2 hours and 15 minutes compared to the existing bus service. The entire Donghae Line (Busan Bujeon?Gangneung in Gangwon-do) will have an integrated electric railway transport system, greatly contributing to improved track functionality.

This year, 41.9 billion KRW will be invested in the Daegu Metropolitan Railway project, which connects Gumi in Gyeongsangbuk-do to Daegu and Gyeongsan over 61.8 km as a metropolitan railway. The total project cost is 185.7 billion KRW, and construction speed is being accelerated with a goal to complete the project in 2023.

The Daegu Metropolitan Railway is a low-cost, high-efficiency project that utilizes the spare capacity of the existing Gyeongbu Line tracks by introducing electric trains, connecting Daegu and the Gyeongbuk area into a single living zone within 40 minutes, significantly enhancing transportation convenience for users.

The line will include newly constructed Gumi Sagok Station and Seodaegu Station. Seodaegu Station opened earlier in March, greatly improving high-speed rail accessibility in the southwestern Daegu area by alleviating the overcrowded Dongdaegu Station functions.

Kim Han-young, President of the Korea Rail Network Authority, said, "We will complete the Yeongnam region projects without delay to establish a regional cooperation base centered on the railway network and contribute to regional innovative growth and national balanced development."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.