Daegyeong Line Opening and Railway Infrastructure Development... Expected Regional Economic Revitalization
Establishment of Ultra-Precise Bus Information System and Introduction of Demand-Responsive Rural Buses
▲Daegu Metropolitan Railroad ‘Daegyeong Line’ Opens on December 14
Gumi City has ushered in a new turning point for urban growth with the advent of a new railway transportation network era.
First, on December 14, the Daegu Metropolitan Railroad (Gumi?Gyeongsan) will open under the name ‘Daegyeong Line.’ As the first metropolitan railroad in the region, it connects a total distance of 61.85 km from Gumi to Gyeongsan, passing through Gumi Station, Sagok, Waegwan, Seodaegu, and Dongdaegu.
With this opening, residents of Daegu and Gyeongbuk will enjoy more convenient travel and a foundation for sharing various living services such as education, medical care, and culture. In particular, accessibility to Gumi’s major tourist attractions such as the birthplace of President Park Chung-hee, Saemaeul Movement Theme Park, and Geumosan Mountain will improve, contributing to an increase in tourists and revitalization of the local economy.
▲Acceleration of Railroad Infrastructure Expansion
Gumi City is also accelerating the expansion of railroad infrastructure connecting the new airport and metropolitan areas. Major projects such as △Construction of the Kimcheon?Gumi?New Airport East-West Transversal Railroad △Establishment of Donggumi Station on the Seodaegu?Uiseong Metropolitan Railroad △KTX-Eum stop at Gumi Station are being continuously requested. If these projects are implemented, Gumi, as the hinterland city of Daegu-Gyeongbuk New Airport, is expected to generate high synergy through linkage with national projects such as the semiconductor specialized complex and defense innovation cluster designation.
Furthermore, once the connection between the Jungbu Inland Line and the Gyeongbu Line is completed, exchanges between specialized complexes will be smooth, and accessibility to the metropolitan area will be greatly enhanced, significantly contributing to attracting corporate investment and securing research personnel. Gumi City plans to realize the ‘Second Nakdong River Miracle’ through railroad infrastructure expansion based on its geographical advantage along the Nakdong River and abundant labor force.
▲20 Minutes to the Airport! ‘Gumi?Gunwi Expressway’ Opens East-West Axis for the First Time in 54 Years
The Gumi?Gunwi Expressway will open as the first expressway crossing east to west in 54 years since the opening of the Gyeongbu Expressway in 1970. Most of the route passes through Gumi City, with two interchanges (IC) installed, expected to alleviate habitual congestion in the city center and improve accessibility. In particular, access time to the integrated new airport will be reduced to within 20 minutes, maximizing logistics and transportation efficiency.
The Gumi National Industrial Complex is also expected to benefit positively. The opening of the new airport and expressway will contribute not only to reducing logistics costs and strengthening export competitiveness for companies in the industrial complex but also positively impact the regeneration project of the aging industrial complex and the revitalization of the sale of the 5th National Industrial Complex.
▲Improvement of Road Infrastructure within Gumi City
Gumi City is also focusing on expanding road infrastructure within the city. The improvement project for National Road No. 67 between Gumi and Gunwi IC is underway with an investment of 52.6 billion KRW from Sangnim-ri, Jangcheon-myeon to Gunwi IC, aiming for completion in 2026. The improvement project for National Road No. 59 between Gumi and Kimcheon is progressing smoothly with an investment of 68.6 billion KRW from Imun-ri, Seonsan-eup to Daegwang-dong, Kimcheon City, targeting completion in 2027.
Requests for upgrading Provincial Roads No. 927 and 923 from two lanes to four lanes are ongoing, with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s announcement expected by the end of the year. Additionally, to improve habitual congestion at intersections within the city, projects for installing grade-separated intersections at Sagok Five-way Intersection and Wonjipyeong-ro Four-way Intersection are scheduled to be ordered next year. Efforts are also being made to expand urban planning roads such as the construction of the Bukgumi IC access road (Jung1-11), the road between Geoui and Daebaek Apartments (Jung1-30), and the expansion of the road between Sangmo and Sagok (Dae2-5).
▲Strengthening Metropolitan Railroad Connectivity
The city plans to significantly improve city bus services to enhance convenience for public transportation users. Fixed-interval routes with 15?20 minute headways will be expanded, and the frequency of operation on heavily used trunk and branch lines will be increased to improve citizen convenience. In particular, to strengthen connectivity with the Daegyeong Line metropolitan railroad, two new routes passing through the newly established Sagok Station will be introduced, and existing routes will be modified to greatly improve access to Sagok Station. Additionally, a transfer discount for the Daegyeong Line metropolitan railroad will be introduced to further enhance convenience in using public transportation by linking rail and bus services.
▲Establishment of Ultra-Precision Bus Information System
Furthermore, an ‘Ultra-Precision Bus Information System’ will be introduced to innovate public transportation services. This system uses the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to provide highly accurate location information with an error margin of 2 cm at one-second intervals and is being built with the goal of operation in the second half of next year. Through this, users will be able to easily check the real-time location of buses, reducing waiting times and greatly increasing satisfaction with public transportation.
▲Introduction of Demand-Responsive Rural Buses
Gumi City will also introduce demand-responsive rural buses. Routes in eup and myeon areas with low ridership will be replaced with 15-seat small buses instead of the existing large buses to improve operational efficiency. The replaced large buses will be deployed on major urban routes to strengthen fixed-interval services. This will reduce operating costs and prioritize hiring local residents who understand regional characteristics as drivers, contributing to local job creation.
Mayor Kim Jang-ho said, “Gumi City is creating a turning point to leap forward in all fields including industry, economy, and culture through the expansion of railroad and road transportation networks,” adding, “We will continue to invest and make efforts so that Gumi can establish itself as the regional economic hub in the new airport era.”
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