Yoon: "Double High-Speed Train Operations to Expand Nationwide 2-Hour Living Zone"

President Yoon Attends Groundbreaking Ceremony for Pyeongtaek-Osong Double-Track High-Speed Rail
Rail Cluster and K-Bio Square to Be Established in Chungbuk

President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 7th regarding the commencement of the Pyeongtaek-Osong high-speed railway double-tracking project, "Starting with this project, we will double the operation of high-speed trains and expand the nationwide two-hour living zone."

President Yoon attended the 'Pyeongtaek-Osong High-Speed Railway Double-Tracking Groundbreaking Ceremony' held at the Chungbuk Cheongju Cultural Manufacturing Center Central Plaza on the morning of the same day and delivered a commemorative speech. The presidential office conveyed through a press release that he said, "To create a livable local era, a dense transportation infrastructure is essential."

The Pyeongtaek-Osong high-speed railway double-tracking project involves constructing an additional faster high-speed railway underground on the Pyeongtaek-Osong section, which has reached saturation due to the concentration of high-speed train operations where the Gyeongbu, Honam, and Suseo high-speed railways meet.

Once the Pyeongtaek-Osong high-speed railway double-tracking opens in 2028, new high-speed train services will be available to Incheon, Suwon, and Geoje. Additionally, the operation of high-speed trains will double, and the speed will reach a world-class level of 400 km/h.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon emphasized 'fair accessibility' as a key element of regional balanced development. He stated, "It is a core national policy goal of the government to create a livable local era, and to realize this, a dense transportation infrastructure is essential."

He continued, "We will actively promote the passage of the Daejeon-Sejong-Chungbuk metropolitan railway through downtown Cheongju, as promised during the presidential election. Once a new transportation axis is established from Cheongju-Osong-Sejong-Daejeon, it will be more convenient to use airports and high-speed railways by subway." He also expressed his intention to "develop Chungbuk into a national advanced industry hub by establishing a railway cluster and K-Bio Square in Chungbuk."

President Yoon also celebrated the groundbreaking by pressing the start button alongside key figures such as the representative of the Korea National Railway employees, Kim Young-hwan, Governor of Chungbuk Province, Hwang Young-ho, Chairman of the Chungbuk Provincial Council, and Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. He then encouraged the construction officials from the Korea National Railway, contractors, and designers, urging them to "carry out the construction safely with a sense of mission to firmly establish the central axis of the high-speed railway."