[30-Minute Metropolitan Area]② Gimpo Gold Line Adds 12 Cars from June... Concentrated Deployment of Double-Decker Buses for Commuting

Improvement of Metropolitan Transportation Conditions in New Towns
11 Trillion Won Invested in Residential Environment Innovation
Facility Completion Timeline Advanced by 5 Years

The government will add 6 train sets (12 cars) to the Gimpo Gold Line, which transports about 6,000 passengers per hour during rush hour and records a congestion rate of 210%. The number of double-decker electric buses operating in the metropolitan area will be increased, and a metropolitan bus reservation service will also be launched. Approximately 11 trillion won will be invested in projects to improve metropolitan transportation conditions by region, including the 3rd New Towns.

On the morning of the 25th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport held a public discussion chaired by the President in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, under the theme "30-minute commute era, resolving transportation disparities," and announced the "Three Major Innovation Strategies in the Transportation Sector." These strategies aim to solve transportation problems in new towns and achieve residential environment innovation.

First, Tackling Congestion on the ‘Hell Train’ Gimpo Gold Line

Citizens are using the train at Pungmu Station on the Gimpo Gold Line in Gyeonggi. / Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@

First, various short-term measures have been prepared to alleviate congestion on the Gimpo Gold Line (Western area), known as the ‘Hell Train.’ During the morning rush hours (6 a.m. to 8 a.m.), the number of metropolitan buses running on the Gimpo Gold Line route will increase from the current 80 trips to over 120 trips. The starting and ending points will also be diversified to distribute demand. The number of Gimpo Gold Line train sets will increase by 6 sets starting in June and an additional 5 sets by the end of 2026.

Additionally, a time-based central bus lane will be gradually introduced on Olympic-daero (from Gimpo to Dangsan Station), with priority application on the Gimpo to Gayang Interchange section in the first half of the year. The recently announced mediation route by the Metropolitan Transport Committee (Daegwangwi) for the extension of Seoul Subway Line 5 will also be utilized as one of the alternative projects to improve metropolitan transportation issues in the western metropolitan area, such as congestion on the Gimpo Gold Line and the Airport Railroad.

The Gimpo Gold Line, a light rail line connecting Yangchon-eup in Gimpo and Gimpo Airport in Seoul, has experienced significant congestion during commuting hours, causing many cases of breathing difficulties last year. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport proposed solutions such as the extension of Line 5 and the opening of the GTX D line. However, since these are medium- to long-term projects requiring considerable time, short-term measures were announced again on this day.

Metropolitan Buses: Seat Reservations via App and Expansion of Intermediate Stops

Seoul Jung-gu Namdaemun Tax Office and Seoul Baek Hospital express bus stops are crowded with citizens waiting for the shuttle buses home. / Photo by Yonhap News

To improve the convenience of metropolitan bus use for new town residents, 50 double-decker electric buses with a large passenger capacity (70 seats) will be introduced this year. This is 10 more than last year and will be concentrated during rush hours. The Dangsan Station, a metropolitan bus transfer hub, will expand its transfer center in June, and Yangjae Station will also establish related project plans.

The number of stops at intermediate stations will also increase. Metropolitan buses currently pass through full stops without stopping, causing inconvenience for passengers boarding at intermediate stops. To address this, a seat reservation system via a dedicated application (app) will be implemented from May on 46 routes and expanded to the entire metropolitan area (+23 routes) within the first half of the year. Express buses that stop only at major stops will be introduced on long-route metropolitan bus lines. Furthermore, financial support will be expanded to promote Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), which is more economical and has a shorter project period compared to trams.

The Ministry plans to broaden the choice of metropolitan transportation modes. Demand-responsive transport services (DRT), such as metropolitan call buses and "Ddok buses," allowing users to select desired times and stops, will be introduced in Yongin, Suwon, Goyang, Uijeongbu, and Yangju, and institutionalization of metropolitan DRT will be pursued. Charter buses will be allowed flexible operation through contracts with local government heads to supplement metropolitan bus capacity. Operating costs for taxis for the disabled will be subsidized by the national government (budget of 47.2 billion won).

Accelerating Completion of Metropolitan Transportation Facilities in New Towns

Route map of the Gyeonggi Hanam City Gyosan District Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Project.
- Songpa-Hanam Line
- Construction of Dongnam-ro Connecting Road
- Expansion and Improvement of Dongnam-ro
/ Image courtesy of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

The metropolitan transportation improvement plan, with a total project cost of 11 trillion won, will be implemented with tailored approaches by region. By shortening project procedures, the completion time for metropolitan transportation facilities in the 3rd New Towns and others will be reduced by up to an average of 5 years compared to the 2nd New Towns. To this end, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will propose the Metropolitan Transportation Act next month, which includes direct review and resolution of project plans by the ministry, and will simplify the preliminary feasibility study process.

For example, about 4 trillion won (8 projects) will be invested in the eastern region, including Wangsu District in Namyangju City and Gyosan District in Hanam City, to promote projects such as the Songpa-Hanam Line and the expansion of National Road No. 6. The Ministry plans to simplify the project procedures for the Hanam Gyosan Southeast Road connection project to complete it by 2028, two years earlier than originally scheduled. In the northern region, including Changneung District in Goyang City and Yangju City, 11 projects will receive about 1.8 trillion won in investment. The ministry expects to shorten the project period by up to 3 years. Compared to the 2nd New Towns, this is 2 to 8 years faster (average 4.8 years).

About 1 trillion won will be invested in western region projects to shorten completion times by 1 to 2 years. The expansion project of Beolmal-ro in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, is expected to be shortened by one year through the ministry’s project plan review and resolution. In the southern region, including Geomo District in Siheung City and Godeok District in Pyeongtaek City, 600 billion won will be concentrated to accelerate 8 projects by one year each. This is expected to shorten the schedule by 2 years compared to the 2nd New Towns. Major projects include the connection road of National Road No. 39, expansion of Gunja-ro and Jukyul-ro, and new road construction between the Internationalization Planning District and the Eastern Bypass Road.

A ministry official said, "To transparently manage investment funds, we plan to establish a metropolitan transportation account within the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) accounting system," adding, "Every year, the Metropolitan Transport Committee will establish plans for resource expansion by improvement measures and investment plans by project, and monitor execution performance."

Furthermore, the ministry will promptly engage in coordination and mediation of various transportation projects. A dedicated conflict management organization will be established within the Metropolitan Transport Committee, and projects delayed for more than six months will be required to apply for mediation. A ministry official said, "Even if the project delay period is less than six months, if rapid coordination and mediation are deemed necessary, the Metropolitan Transport Committee can initiate mediation procedures," adding, "Coordination among related agencies will be completed within four months, and direct mediation by the committee within two months."