Implementation Design from Next Year, Completion Target Set for 2031
Gangdong-gu, Seoul, announced on the 26th that “appropriate congestion mitigation measures must be implemented simultaneously” regarding the ‘Phase 4 Additional Extension Project of Line 9’ (Gangdong-Hanam-Namyangju Line Metropolitan Railroad Construction Project), which was approved by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the 24th.
The ‘Gangdong-Hanam-Namyangju Line Metropolitan Railroad Construction Project,’ led by Gyeonggi Province, is a project to build a 17.6 km railway connecting Gangdong-gu in Seoul with Hanam Misa Riverside New Town, Namyangju Wangsuk New Town, and Jinjeop 2 District. This is the Phase 5 extension project following Phase 4, which extended the eastern terminus of Subway Line 9 to Godeok-Gangil 1 District in Gangdong, Seoul. A total of eight stations will be newly established, including one in Gangil-dong, Gangdong-gu. The total project cost is approximately 2.824 trillion KRW, with a target opening year of 2031.
Following the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s approval of the basic plan, detailed design and other full-scale project activities will begin next year. In this context, Gangdong-gu emphasized that appropriate congestion mitigation measures must be implemented alongside the line extension. Since the opening of Line 5 Hanam Line (Sangil-dong Station to Hanam Geomdansan Station) in 2021 and the Byeollae Line (Amsa Station to Byeollae Station) in August this year, complaints from residents about congestion on the subway have been continuously received. Additionally, the populations of adjacent cities such as Hanam, Guri, and Namyangju have significantly increased, which is expected to further worsen congestion issues in public transportation such as subways.
In response, Gangdong-gu formed a joint response cooperation task force with Hanam City in April and submitted a joint proposal to Gyeonggi Province and Seoul City to operate both local and express trains simultaneously at stations 943 (tentatively named Sin Gangil Station) and 944 (tentatively named Sin Misa Station) to disperse the daily demand of approximately 65,000 users. The district plans to continuously request related agencies to reflect measures to reduce congestion in the Seoul section until the completion stage when detailed train operation plans are finalized.
Lee Soo-hee, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, stated, “Gangdong-gu, as the transportation hub of eastern Seoul, indeed has many advantages from this development, but residents’ inconveniences are also significant.” He added, “We are actively negotiating to ensure that local trains operate alongside express trains at stations 943 and 944, located south of the Han River, to minimize residents’ inconvenience in using public transportation.” He continued, “We will spare no administrative effort to secure residents’ convenience through active communication with related agencies such as Seoul City and Gyeonggi Province, focusing on congestion relief and public transportation connectivity.”
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