Attendance at Suseo Station Opening Ceremony
"When fully opened, it will connect key industry hubs... Help attract investment
and expand the nationwide GTX network"
President Yoon Suk-yeol delivers a commemorative speech at the opening ceremony of the Suseo-Dongtan section of the Metropolitan Area Express Train (GTX) Line A held at Suseo Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 29th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 29th, "Today marks a revolutionary day in South Korea's public transportation, comparable to the opening of the Gyeongbu Expressway in 1970 and the KTX in 2004, with the launch of the metropolitan express railway (GTX) Line A in the Seoul metropolitan area," adding, "It will bring revolutionary changes to urban competitiveness."
President Yoon attended the GTX-A Suseo~Dongtan section opening ceremony held at Suseo Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, in the morning, saying, "The travel time between Suseo and Dongtan, which used to take over 80 minutes by metropolitan bus, can now be covered in 20 minutes by GTX."
GTX-A is a line connecting a total of 11 stations over 82.1 km, starting from Paju Unjeong, passing through Goyang, Seoul, Seongnam, and Yongin, and ending at Hwaseong Dongtan. The section opening today is the first constructed segment, covering 38.5 km from Suseo Station, Seongnam Station, Guseong Station (Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, opened in June this year), to Dongtan Station. The remaining northern section of GTX-A, from Paju Unjeong Station to Seoul Station, is scheduled to open by the end of this year; the Seoul Station to Suseo Station section (excluding Samseong Station) by 2026; and the entire line including Samseong Station by 2028.
Yoon: "More Time with Family in the Morning and Evening"
President Yoon emphasized, "With GTX reducing the travel time between Suseo and Dongtan from over 80 minutes by metropolitan bus to just 20 minutes, people will have more time to spend with their families in the morning and evening and find more leisure in their daily lives." He continued, "Once the entire GTX-A line is operational, key industrial hubs such as Paju Unjeong Techno Valley, Ilsan KINTEX, Pangyo Techno Valley, and Yongin Semiconductor Industrial Complex will be connected, leading to increased influx of talented individuals and new investments."
President Yoon mentioned the effects of the UK’s Crossrail, a GTX equivalent opened in 2022, which has promoted large-scale housing supply in London, and the RER, a high-speed express railway connecting Paris and five new suburban cities, which played a pivotal role in the success of the Grand Paris metropolitan development project. He projected that GTX would also greatly help alleviate the housing shortage. President Yoon added, "GTX will make the Seoul metropolitan area, the heart of South Korea, beat dynamically."
President Yoon announced plans to expand the GTX network nationwide, starting with Line C (Yangju~Suwon), which began construction in January and is planned to open by 2028, and Line B (Incheon~Namyangju), which started in March and is scheduled for completion by 2030. Line A will be extended to Pyeongtaek, Line B to Chuncheon, and Line C will be extended north to Dongducheon and south to Osan, Cheonan, and Asan.
President Yoon Suk-yeol is participating in the opening ceremony by pressing a button on stage with citizen representatives and construction officials at the opening ceremony of the Suseo~Dongtan section of the Metropolitan Area Express Train (GTX) Line A held at Suseo Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 29th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
President Yoon recalled that GTX was first conceived in 2007 and that then-Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-soo had pushed for simultaneous construction of three lines aiming for a 2017 opening. He expressed regret that if the project had proceeded as planned without delays caused by opposition, GTX would have opened seven years ago, preventing the current traffic congestion in the metropolitan area. President Yoon emphasized, "As more GTX sections will open in the future, we will ensure that the construction of the currently ongoing sections (Lines A, B, and C) proceeds smoothly and opens as originally planned, and we will firmly lay the groundwork for the commencement of new sections (Lines D, E, and F) within my term."
The D, E, and F lines, whose route plans were announced last January, are expected to complete legal procedures within the current administration. President Yoon also mentioned that the metropolitan express railway (x-TX) projects providing GTX-level services to regions such as Daejeon-Chungcheong, Daegu-Gyeongbuk, Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam, and Gwangju-Jeonnam have already begun, promising smooth progress. He explained, "The 'x' here means that if Chungcheong is represented by 'C,' it becomes CTX." He added, "The transportation revolution that will surely change the lives of the people must not end as a dream. My administration and I will complete the construction of the ongoing sections as soon as possible and open them."
Yoon: "Lowering Fare Burden to 2,000~3,000 Won"
GTX fare burdens will also be reduced. President Yoon said, "We will definitely lower the fare burden for GTX," adding, "From May 1, frequent commuters can use the Suseo~Dongtan section for fares ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 won by utilizing the public transportation discount program ‘K-Pass.’" Additionally, discounts will be provided for seniors, children, persons with disabilities, and veterans, allowing fares in the 2,000 to 3,000 won range. Transfer discounts within the metropolitan area and a 10% weekend discount will also help reduce transportation costs.
When Said Al Ahbabi, Chief Business Officer of Etihad Rail from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), attending the event, offered congratulations, President Yoon responded, "I hope you experience the world's best high-speed railway here in Korea today," according to a written briefing by Kim Soo-kyung, spokesperson for the Presidential Office. During the opening ceremony, President Yoon joined citizen representatives and construction officials on stage and pressed the button vigorously to celebrate the opening. The GTX Suseo Station, where the ceremony was held, is a station separately established from the existing Suseo High-Speed Railway (SRT) Suseo Station.
After the ceremony, President Yoon boarded the GTX train at Suseo Station with citizens and headed to Dongtan Station. A citizen who participated in last week's 'Public Participation Safety Inspection' said, "While inspecting Suseo Station, I suggested improving the signage in the transfer passage, and today I saw that it has actually been improved," expressing pride. In response, President Yoon said, "Citizens should consider GTX as their own car and feel free to suggest improvements anytime."
President Yoon Suk-yeol is greeting citizens who boarded the GTX A Line train together after attending the opening ceremony of the Suseo-Dongtan section of the Metropolitan Express Railway (GTX) A Line at Suseo Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 29th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
After the train arrived at Dongtan Station, President Yoon moved to the driver's cabin to encourage the driver, then went up to the waiting hall and shook hands with the waiting Dongtan residents one by one, exchanging greetings. He promised the Dongtan residents, "Although it took a very long time from the start of the GTX-A project to its opening, it only took 20 minutes to arrive today. We will not stop here but will continuously improve metropolitan transportation infrastructure so that more citizens can benefit."
About 250 people attended the ceremony, including residents from Seoul, Seongnam, Yongin, and Hwaseong Dongtan in Gyeonggi Province, and construction officials. From the government, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Park Sang-woo, Korea Rail Network Authority Chairman Lee Seong-hae, and Kim Moon-soo, Chairman of the Economic, Social and Labor Council who proposed the GTX three-line project during his tenure as Gyeonggi Province Governor in 2010, were present.
Local government officials included Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin, Yongin Mayor Lee Sang-il, Hwaseong Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun, and Gangnam District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong. From the Presidential Office, Policy Chief Seong Tae-yoon and Senior Secretary for Economic Affairs Park Chun-seop also attended.
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