Busan Reconnected After Long Hiatus, Rebuilding on Railway... Creating 'Second US Hudson Yards' with Commercial and Residential Areas [Report]

A Firsthand Look at the "Gyeongbu Line Railway Underground Integrated Development Pilot Project" Site

On the 28th, a view of Busan Station marshalling yard was seen from the rooftop of Korail Busan Vehicle Office in Dong-gu, Busan. Beyond the railroad tracks, the Bukhang area and the high-rise residential-commercial complex "Hyeopseong Marina G7" are visible. Photo by Choi Seoyoon

The downtown area, which started in front of Busan Station, was abruptly cut off by the railway tracks. To cross the tracks, one had to take a detour. Development remained south of the tracks, while the northern side was neglected. The disconnected landscape becomes even clearer when viewed from above.

On the rooftop of the Korail Busan Vehicle Office right next to Busan Station on the 28th, a large yard where trains wait or turn around was spread out beyond the railing. Seventeen tracks were layered one over another. Ha Chideok, head of Busan City's Railway Facilities Division, said, "The Gyeongbu Line railway will reconnect the divided Busan downtown area." "We plan to install a cover (artificial ground, deck) over the railway to directly connect the North Port and the original downtown, and promote complex development on top of it. The aim is to correct the fragmented urban structure and simultaneously improve quality of life and regional balance."

◆"Since we cannot move the railway, we just cover it"= The official name of this project is the 'Gyeongbu Line Railway Underground Integrated Development Pilot Project.' Busan City plans to install an artificial ground and create a complex space including parks, commercial, and residential facilities on top. The tracks will remain as they are, but will be covered. Sections where covering is structurally impossible will be developed separately using adjacent land. The total project cost is 1.8184 trillion KRW, with 684.1 billion KRW allocated for railway undergrounding and 1.1342 trillion KRW for land development. The project period is from 2027 to 2035. Currently, the basic plan is being established. Full-scale construction will begin only after government approval.

A view of the Busanjin Container Yard (CY) in Dong-gu, Busan. The site will undergo complete redevelopment after relocating to the New Port administrative district. The government has relaxed the floor area ratio up to 150% to promote profitable developments such as high-rise residential-commercial complexes. Photo by Choi Seoyoon

This plan has been in preparation for a long time. Busan City formed the Downtown Railway Relocation Promotion Committee in 2009 to promote railway undergrounding. In January last year, the 'Railway Underground Integrated Development Act' was enacted, providing a legal basis for the project. Based on this, Busan City officially applied for the pilot project and was selected as a target site along with Daejeon and Ansan in February this year. Initially, Busan applied for the entire Gyeongbu Line section, but the selected section is the 2.8 km stretch between Busanjin Station and Busan Station, which has the highest feasibility.

The total project area is approximately 370,000 square meters, arranged in a complex layout on both the east and west sides of Busan Station centered on the railway tracks. The deck area is 66,524 square meters, with a height of over 10 meters. However, the deck structure has limitations for supporting heavy buildings, so low-rise public facilities such as youth housing or public rental housing are considered suitable according to on-site assessments. Profitability will be supplemented by utilizing the Busanjin container yard site. The yard will be relocated to the New Port administrative district and undergo full redevelopment. The site is large and has good ground conditions, allowing for profitable development such as high-rise residential-commercial complexes. To this end, the government has relaxed the floor area ratio up to 150%.

Once the project is in full swing, the function of Busan Station will also change. All general trains such as Mugunghwa and Saemaeul will be moved to Bujeon Station, and Busan Station will operate exclusively as a high-speed rail (KTX·SRT) station.

Similar artificial ground development cases exist overseas, such as Hudson Yards in the United States, Rive Gauche in France, and the Shinjuku complex terminal in Japan.

Land Use Plan from Busanjin Station to Busan Station. Provided by Busan Metropolitan City

◆A complex district linked to North Port redevelopment= This project is also connected to the adjacent North Port redevelopment area. The Opera House, which has reached 55% completion, the operational Cruise Busan Port International Passenger Terminal, and the residential-commercial complex Hyupsung Marina G7 have already taken shape.

Between the Opera House and the cruise pier, a landmark tower of 80 to 90 floors is also being planned. Ha said, "The North Port development has completed infrastructure construction and entered the building phase," adding, "We will create synergy by linking the railway underground integrated development with the North Port development."

As most logistics functions move to the New Port, North Port is shifting from a port-centered area to an urban function-centered area. In fact, the Jaseongdae Pier included in the second phase of North Port redevelopment was fully relocated by the end of last year. The completion of pier relocation, considered the biggest obstacle in port redevelopment, has accelerated the urban transformation.

Aerial view of the railway site development area. Provided by Busan Metropolitan City.

◆Sufficient profitability... attracting private investment is key= To this end, the Korea National Railway Corporation plans to establish a subsidiary and collaborate with Busan City and other local governments to operate the project. Busan City plans to directly operate the project by establishing a subsidiary of the Korea National Railway Corporation. Ha said, "Since the land owned by Korail, Korea National Railway Corporation, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is used, there is no separate compensation procedure, and the government has invested compensation funds, so the project risk is low," adding, "There are incentives for floor area ratio and building coverage ratio, so profitability will be higher than in general downtown areas."

The problem is that it is difficult to proceed with the entire section solely with private capital. According to the Railway Underground Special Act, national finances are not directly invested, and project costs must be covered by profits from railway land development. The shortfall is borne by local governments.

Busan City is designing the project structure flexibly in preparation for this. Ha said, "If covering the entire 2.8 km section is burdensome, we can consider installing artificial ground only in the profitable sections," adding, "We will adjust the project scope and method during the basic plan establishment process."