Yeongju-si, Jungang Line Fully Opened... "Laying the Foundation for Regional Development"

Cheongnyangni 1 hour 30 minutes · Busan 2 hours 10 minutes

‘Transportation Hub Yeongju’ Connecting Capital and Yeongnam Regions

Yeongju City in Gyeongbuk announced that the double-tracking project of the Jungang Line (Dodam~Yeongcheon), which has been promoted since 2015 as part of the railway high-speed project, has been completed and will be fully opened on the 20th.

According to the city, the Jungang Line double-tracking project covered a total length of 145.1 km with a total project cost of 4.4511 trillion KRW. The Dodam-Andong section, 73.8 km long, was opened in July 2022, and now the Andong-North Yeongcheon section, 71.3 km long, has been opened, enabling KTX operation from Cheongnyangni to Busan Bujeon Station.

KTX train passing through Yeongju City.

With this opening, the Andong-Cheongnyangni section will operate at an increased speed of up to 250 km/h through signal system improvements, and the Andong-North Yeongcheon section will operate at 150 km/h. By the end of next year, the Andong-North Yeongcheon section is also expected to be upgraded to 250 km/h.

Accordingly, the travel time from Yeongju to Cheongnyangni will be shortened to about 1 hour and 30 minutes. In particular, the travel time to Busan will be dramatically reduced from the existing 4 hours and 50 minutes to about 2 hours and 10 minutes.

The KTX-Eum operates 16 times on weekdays (8 times each for up and down directions) and 18 times on weekends (9 times each for up and down directions), among which 6 times (3 times each for up and down directions) are directly connected to Busan Bujeon Station.

The city has been promoting the expansion of related infrastructure, including the reconstruction of the aging Yeongju Station building, to prepare for the opening of the Jungang Line and lay the foundation for regional development.

In addition, in connection with the station reconstruction, the city has completed the following projects to revitalize the station area: the Citizens' Square (Yeongju Station Plaza) project, the Nambu Yukgeori roundabout project, and the double-lane roundabout project in front of Yeongju Station.

Furthermore, the city is promoting the revitalization of the local economy in the surrounding commercial area by creating leisure spaces (plaza and green space of 4,070㎡, outdoor performance hall, and other cultural facilities) and securing parking facilities (3,700㎡) under the railway bridge in the Yeongju-dong area.

To improve the pedestrian environment for citizens and station users, the Yeongju Station safety connection passage project, which connects Hyucheon 2-dong and Hyucheon 3-dong, is underway and is scheduled to be completed by March next year.

Using the opening of the Jungang Line as a stepping stone, the city plans to establish a Yeongju Station circulation transportation system and introduce tourism programs and customized tourism packages linked with representative tourist destinations such as Yeongjuho, Buseoksa, and Museom Village to increase tourist inflow.

Park Nam-seo, mayor of Yeongju City, said, “With the full opening of the Jungang Line, Yeongju will secure new growth momentum as a transportation hub connecting the metropolitan area and the Yeongnam region,” adding, “This railway high-speed project is expected to greatly contribute not only to revitalizing the regional economy but also to improving the living conditions of citizens.”

Jungang Line railway passing through Punggi Station.