Mayor Oh Se-hoon's Pledge...
Commuter Train Intervals Still 2 Hours Apart
"Solvable by 0.98km Track Expansion"
Lee Pil-hyung, Dongdaemun District Mayor, "Presidential Office Petition Under Review"
Dongdaemun-gu Mayor Lee Pil-hyung and residents are participating in a rally to increase the number of trains on the Suin-Bundang Line, advocating for the construction of new tracks. (Photo by Suin-Bundang Line Promotion Committee)
"Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon promised the residents of Dongdaemun-gu during his candidacy through the internet broadcast Oh Se-hoon TV that he would 'revolutionarily improve Dongdaemun-gu's access to Gangnam by reducing the train intervals of the Suin-Bundang Line at Cheongnyangni Station.' He said, 'If the tracks between Wangsimni, Cheongnyangni, and Hoegi are grade-separated, various measures such as directly connecting the Bundang Line trains to the Gyeongchun Line or the Jungang Line can be prepared.' It has been three years, but there has been no progress." (Kim Mi-hyun, Chairperson of the Suin-Bundang Line Promotion Committee)
9 runs on weekdays, 5 runs on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. This is not a train timetable for a quiet rural area. The first train from Cheongnyangni Station to Jukjeon via Wangsimni Station, Gangnam-gu Office Station, Seolleung Station, and Suseo Station departs at 7:48 a.m., and the next train leaves 1 hour and 59 minutes later at 9:47 a.m. After that, trains run at intervals ranging from 44 minutes to 2 hours and 8 minutes, ending service at 7:04 p.m.
Cheongnyangni Station is a transportation hub in the northeastern part of Seoul and is undergoing a large-scale development project, but its accessibility to Gangnam, where many jobs are concentrated, is particularly poor. Wangsimni Station, where passengers can transfer to Lines 2 and 5 from the Suin-Bundang Line at Cheongnyangni Station, is only one stop away, and Gangnam-gu Office Station and Seolleung Station are just 4 to 6 stops away, but the infrequent train intervals reduce the efficiency of the line. Because of this, many people have to use buses or take detours via other subway lines, causing significant inconvenience.
Kim Mi-hyun, Chairperson of the Suin-Bundang Line Promotion Committee and a resident of Dongdaemun-gu, emphasized, "Additional track construction is absolutely necessary for the convenience of transfer passengers using Cheongnyangni Station not only from Dongdaemun-gu but also from surrounding areas such as Uijeongbu, Namyangju, Gangwon Province, and inland regions."
It is also necessary to resolve the transportation gap between Gangnam and Gangbuk in Seoul, as well as to improve transfer convenience and establish a metropolitan transportation hub for the northeastern region, Gangwon region, central inland area, and Gyeongnam region, which extend from Cheongnyangni Station.
To expand operations at Suin-Bundang Line Cheongnyangni Station, a new single track that can run this section is required. According to Chairperson Kim, it only requires laying tracks on a 0.98 km section between Wangsimni and Cheongnyangni Station at a cost of 85.3 billion KRW.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport already included the single-track railway construction project between Wangsimni and Cheongnyangni Station in the 4th National Railroad Network Construction Plan in July 2021, but progress has been slow. The 0.98 km section to be newly constructed by purchasing land runs from Majang Livestock Market to Wangsimni Station. Once the single track is built, the number of trains can increase from the current 9 runs per day to 60 to 80 runs.
The Suin-Bundang Promotion Committee has been conducting a signature campaign since November last year and has already collected 20,000 signatures. They are also working with merchant associations near Cheongnyangni Station, such as Yakryeongsi and Gyeongdong Market, to promote increasing the number of Suin-Bundang Line trains.
Lee Pil-hyung, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, also participated in a rally held by residents on the 27th of last month urging an increase in train frequency. He said, "Although a feasibility study is being conducted under the supervision of the Korea Rail Network Authority, we will also conduct our own study through this supplementary budget to logically establish the necessity of the single-track construction," and added, "We are also considering petitions to the Presidential Office."
Kim Mihyun, Chairperson of the Suin-Bundang Line Promotion Committee, said, "If a 0.98 km section of new railway is constructed between Wangsimni and Cheongnyangni stations, accessibility to Gangnam can be greatly improved." (Photo by Suin-Bundang Line Promotion Committee)
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