The Era of East Coast Railways Begins! Pohang City Establishes Itself as the Transportation Hub of the East Coast Region

Donghae Line between Pohang and Donghae to Open in December, Trial Run Begins in September

Continued Discussions on Increasing Pohang-Seoul Station KTX and Pohang-Suseo SRT Services

Pohang City is making full-scale preparations to establish itself as a key transportation hub on the East Coast, including improving its connecting transportation network, ahead of the opening of the 'Donghae Line (Pohang?Donghae)' train section scheduled for this December.

The electrification project of the 'Donghae Line (between Pohang and Donghae)', which is expected to greatly enhance the convenience of the East Coast region, is set to open in December, with trial runs scheduled for September.

The Donghae Line electrification project between Pohang, Samcheok, and Donghae includes electrifying both the Pohang?Samcheok section (166.3 km) and the existing Samcheok?Donghae section (6.5 km). Once the Donghae Line opens at the end of this year, ITX-Maum (express) and Nuriro (local) trains, with a maximum speed of 150 km/h, will be introduced first.

Donghae Line route.

After analyzing ridership and projected demand for about a year, it is expected that the KTX-Eum, capable of speeds up to 260 km/h, could be introduced from early 2026.

With the opening of the Donghae Line, the convenience for tourists visiting Pohang from the East Coast region will improve, raising expectations for revitalizing the local economy and attracting more tourists.

Accordingly, Pohang City is working to maximize the effect of attracting tourists by improving the connecting transportation networks at Pohang Station and Wolpo Station in conjunction with the opening of the Donghae Line, and exploring ways to link various tourism products with the operation of Donghae Line trains.

To enhance the impact of the Donghae Line opening, the city is currently connecting the main, branch, and village bus networks to Pohang Station and Wolpo Station, which are stops along the route.

In addition, to resolve the chronic parking shortage at Pohang Station, the city plans to expand parking facilities on an approximately 30,000 m² site at the rear of the station to accommodate about 1,000 cars, install an overpass-type connecting passageway, and improve access roads.

Furthermore, the city is continuously negotiating with Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) to increase the frequency of KTX trains between Pohang and Seoul Station and SRT trains between Pohang and Suseo, in order to further improve access to the Seoul metropolitan area for Pohang citizens.

In line with the construction plan for the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport, the city is also focusing its administrative efforts on expanding the connecting transportation network to establish a direct route between Pohang and the new airport for the convenience of citizens.

Mayor Lee Kangdeok said, "We are continuously improving the connecting transportation network in relation to the opening of the Donghae Line," and added, "We plan to continue discussions with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Korea Railroad Corporation to ensure the early deployment of KTX trains on the Donghae Line to enhance transportation convenience for Pohang citizens."