Operation of 53 Wide-Area, City, and Village Bus Routes
Extended Late-Night Bus Service Hours to Enhance Convenience
Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 29th that it has prepared a connected transportation plan to enhance transfer and usage convenience in line with the opening of the metropolitan area wide express railroad (GTX) Line A on the 30th.
The city inspected and supplemented the operation of 8 metropolitan bus routes, 17 city bus routes, and 18 village bus routes near the entrance of Dongtan Station on GTX-A to facilitate access and movement by bus.
In particular, starting from the 1st of next month, the operating hours of the 'H4' late-night bus will be adjusted in connection with the last train time at Dongtan Station, extending from the current 10:10 PM to 3:10 AM the next day, to 10:00 PM to 3:30 AM the next day.
Earlier this month, the city increased the number of DRT (Hwaseong Ttok Bus) vehicles serving Dongtan 1 and 2 New Towns by 5, operating a total of 20 buses. After the opening of GTX-A, the city plans to monitor demand and consider expanding buses and adding bus stops and taxi stands to build public transportation infrastructure.
Once GTX-A Line opens on the 30th, the fare for the section from Dongtan Station to Suseo Station will be 4,450 won, cheaper than the existing SRT fare of 7,400 won, and the travel time will be about 20 minutes, which is expected to ease the metropolitan commuting traffic problems.
The GTX-A stations initially opening on the 30th are Dongtan, Seongnam, and Suseo Stations. Yongin Guseong Station is scheduled to open at the end of June. The first train departs from Dongtan Station at 5:30 AM, and the last train operates around 1:00 AM the following day. During the initial opening period, trains run at an average interval of 17 minutes during the morning rush hour from 6:30 AM to 9:00 AM.
The fare consists of a base fare of 3,200 won, with an additional 250 won for every 5 km exceeding 10 km. The fare for the Suseo to Dongtan section is 4,450 won. Additionally, metropolitan area transfer discounts and K-Pass refunds, which return a certain amount when used more than 15 times a month, are applied. With the K-Pass refund, the fare for the Suseo to Dongtan section is reduced to 3,560 won (standard fare).
Along with this, various discount programs are applied, including a 50% discount for children, 10% for youth, 30% for seniors, 50% for persons with disabilities and veterans, a 10% discount on the base fare on weekends, and free rides for up to three children under 6 years old per guardian.
Meanwhile, at the GTX-A opening ceremony held at Suseo Station on the 29th, Jeong Myeong-geun, Mayor of Hwaseong City, said, "GTX-A excels in travel time, price competitiveness, and punctuality compared to existing public transportation, and will greatly contribute to resolving metropolitan commuting traffic congestion." He added, "We will continue to do our best to build a railway transportation network befitting 'Hwaseong, a city of one million people.'"
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