From Mungyeong and Sangju to Seoul in about an hour... Mungyeong~Gimcheon Railway Passes Preliminary Feasibility Study

Daesan~Dangjin Expressway New Construction Project Passes Feasibility Reassessment

Mungyeong~Gimcheon Railway Construction Project Location Map

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 28th at the Fiscal Project Evaluation Committee (Ministry of Strategy and Finance) that ① the Mungyeong~Gimcheon railway construction project has passed the preliminary feasibility study, and ② the Daesan-Dangjin expressway new construction project has passed the feasibility re-evaluation.

First, the Mungyeong~Gimcheon railway construction project involves building an electrified railway over a total distance of 69.8 km from Mungyeong in Gyeongsangbuk-do, passing through Sangju, to Gimcheon, completing the domestic inland railway network.

Since being included as a new project in the 3rd National Railway Network Construction Plan in 2016, the project plan has been detailed and has now passed the preliminary feasibility study.

The Mungyeong~Gimcheon section lies between the high-speed rail sections of the Jungbu Inland Line (Icheon~Mungyeong) and the Nambu Inland Line (Gimcheon~Geoje), but was the only missing link in the domestic longitudinal main railway network as a non-electrified line.

In particular, since its construction during the Japanese colonial period (1924), the alignment has not been improved, resulting in many sharp curves and railway crossings, causing issues such as speed reduction and safety concerns.

Once this project is completed, it will be possible to travel from Mungyeong and Sangju, areas with difficult access to the metropolitan area, to Seoul (Suseo) within an hour, and travel time within the Mungyeong~Gimcheon region will also be reduced, allowing the public to enjoy faster railway services.

Especially in population-declining areas like Mungyeong and Sangju, it is expected to revitalize the local economy through job creation and regional tourism activation, and provide an opportunity to overcome the crisis of local extinction through population inflow.

Along with this, the railway crossings will be grade-separated through route straightening and alignment improvements, and the number of sharp curve sections (curve radius R=600m or less) will be greatly reduced, further enhancing railway operation safety.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to expedite the Mungyeong~Gimcheon railway construction project by starting the basic plan establishment in early 2023, proceeding with basic and detailed designs from 2024, and aiming to commence construction as early as 2026.

Location Map of Daesan~Dangjin Expressway New Construction Project

The Daesan-Dangjin expressway new construction project has been promoted since its inclusion in the 2nd Basic Road Maintenance Plan in June 2011. However, due to increased project costs from the design results, a feasibility re-evaluation was conducted.

The petrochemical complex located in the Daesan Industrial Complex is one of the top three petrochemical complexes in Korea, but its highway accessibility was poor compared to other petrochemical complexes. Once this expressway opens, it will be linked with the West Coast and Dangjin~Yeongdeok expressways, greatly improving accessibility.

Lee Yong-wook, Director of the Road Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "We plan to promptly proceed with consultations with related agencies and road zone notifications, aiming to start construction in the second half of 2023. This is expected to significantly improve traffic congestion during commuting on National Route 29 and contribute greatly to handling cargo volume at Daesan Port."