Railway Corporation to Transform Danyang Station~Simgok Abandoned Tunnel into a 'Complex Cultural Space'

Location map of the Jungang Line Danyang Station to Simgok Abandoned Tunnel Development Project. Provided by Korea Rail Network Authority

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The Korea Rail Network Authority is transforming the abandoned tunnel between Danyang Station and Simgok on the Jungang Line (1.7 km) into a complex cultural space.

On the 20th, the Rail Network Authority announced that it signed a business promotion agreement with the Dongbu Construction Co., Ltd. consortium to proceed with the development project of the abandoned railway site at the Simgok tunnel.

According to the agreement, the Rail Network Authority will support permits and administrative consultations with related agencies to ensure that the development section can be established as a central tourism hub linked to major tourist attractions in the Danyang area.

In particular, through this project, the section from KTX Danyang Station to the Simgok abandoned tunnel will be newly developed into an experiential tourism and leisure facility featuring a tram and a media art tunnel. At the tunnel's terminus, a local market that coexists with the community will be created, transforming the space into a complex cultural area that integrates media, extended reality (XR) technology, and the regional characteristics of Danyang-gun.

Among these, the media art tunnel, tentatively named "Meta Kingdom," will be an experiential art tunnel engaging all five senses?sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste?offering various stories and installation art that transcend reality, providing attractions along each section, according to the Rail Network Authority.

Kim Han-young, Director of the Rail Network Authority, stated, "We will strive to ensure that the Danyang Station to Simgok abandoned tunnel development project synergizes with the ongoing tourism resource development project for the Danseong Station to Jukryeong Station section (8.2 km)." He added, "The Rail Network Authority will continue to do its best to create customized local jobs through the utilization of railway sites and to establish a foundation for the growth of the local tourism industry."