Line 9 Jungangbohun Hospital Station~Godeok Gangil Project Approved

Approval and Groundbreaking of Seoul Line 9 Extension Project
Opening Scheduled for 2028

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Kim] The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Metropolitan Area Wide-area Transportation Committee announced on the 3rd that it has approved and announced the business plan for the 'Seoul Subway Line 9 Phase 4 Extension Project' and has officially started construction.

The Seoul Subway Line 9 Phase 4 Extension Project is a large-scale project as part of the Godeok Gangil District wide-area transportation improvement plan. It involves constructing a 4.12 km section from the current Line 9 terminal station, Jungang Veterans Hospital Station, passing through a transfer station to Line 5, to Godeok Gangil 1 District, with a total project cost of 640.8 billion KRW to build 4 new stations (including 1 transfer station).

This project underwent a preliminary feasibility study in May 2018, approval of the basic urban railway plan in April 2020, followed by detailed design and consultations with related agencies. With the recent approval of the business plan, the project will be actively promoted aiming for opening in 2028.

Seoul Subway Line 9 opened its first phase (Gaehwa to Sinnonhyeon) in 2009, second phase (Sinnonhyeon to Sports Complex) in 2015, and third phase (Sports Complex to Jungang Veterans Hospital) in 2018. Currently, it operates on a 41.4 km section from Gaehwa Station to Jungang Veterans Hospital Station. Once the Phase 4 section from Jungang Veterans Hospital Station to Godeok Gangil 1 District opens, a total of 45.5 km of subway line will be completed running east-west across the southern side of the Han River in Seoul.

The planned average speed for Line 9 Phase 4 is 32.1 km/h for local trains and 41.9 km/h for express trains. Residents of Godeok-dong, including Gangil 1 District, previously had to use buses or transfer between subway lines to reach central Seoul areas such as Gangnam and Yeouido, causing inconvenience. However, with the opening of Line 9 Phase 4, they will be able to use Line 9 directly without bus transfers or subway transfers, which is expected to greatly alleviate transportation inconveniences for local residents and contribute significantly to revitalizing the local economy.

At the new stations, skylights (windows to allow natural light) and ecological landscaping within the stations will be planned according to the conditions of each station to ensure openness. Additionally, 24-person elevators will be installed to accommodate not only transportation-vulnerable groups but also general passengers. For passenger safety, crime prevention safe zones, CCTV, emergency bells, and safety mirrors will be installed on the platforms.

Chairman Seonghae Lee stated, "With the official start of construction of the Line 9 Phase 4 urban railway project, accessibility from the Gangdong area to Gangnam and Yeouido directions will improve, contributing to resolving transportation inconveniences for local residents. We plan to actively support the project to ensure completion within the scheduled timeframe."