"Feasibility Study Results Show B/C Ratio Above 5.0"
"City to Invest 34 Billion Won in Project Budget"
Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 17th that the feasibility study results show sufficient business viability for extending the Seoul Metropolitan Area’s Great Train Express (GTX)-C line to Hwaseong Byeongjeom Station.
The city explained that the results came from a feasibility study conducted over more than two years since September 2021, commissioned to Ajou University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation and others, on the GTX-C line extension project connecting Yangju Deokjeong Station to Suwon Station, specifically the extension to Byeongjeom.
The final report meeting on the feasibility study for the extension of the GTX-C line to Byeongjeom, recently held at Hwaseong City Hall. [Photo by Hwaseong City]
This study focused on a plan to operate the 7.2 km section to Byeongjeom Station using the existing Line 1 railway instead of constructing a new line from Suwon Station, and the city added that the cost-benefit ratio (B/C) was found to be over 5.0. Generally, a B/C ratio above 1.0 indicates business viability.
The study also projected that the number of passengers using the Byeongjeom extension line will steadily increase from about 11,000 in 2028 when operations begin, to about 14,000 in 2030, and about 15,000 in 2040.
The city plans to cover the project cost of approximately 34 billion KRW and annual operating expenses of 1 billion KRW from the city budget, as the line extension project will be promoted under the "polluter pays" principle.
The city intends to officially propose the GTX-C line Byeongjeom extension plan to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the relevant government department, by attaching the feasibility study results within this year.
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