Incheon City Council: "The Extension Project of Incheon Line 1 to Songdo Must Be Promoted Quickly"

Adoption of Resolution Proposed by Lee Kanggu

The Incheon Metropolitan Council has urged the prompt advancement of the extension project for Section 8 of the Songdo area on Incheon Subway Line 1.

The council announced on the 8th that it adopted a resolution with this content at the plenary session of the 301st extraordinary meeting recently held. The resolution was proposed with the intention of expediting the project to alleviate traffic congestion in Songdo International City, Incheon, and to revitalize the Free Economic Zone.

The council stated, "Although the Incheon Line 1 Songdo extension project has progressed one step forward by passing the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's investment review, it is still awaiting final approval from the Ministry of Strategy and Finance's Fiscal Project Evaluation Committee," and urged, "We ask Incheon City and local members of the National Assembly to concentrate administrative efforts together to pass the preliminary feasibility study within the first half of this year."

It also emphasized, "Since this project strengthens the metropolitan transportation network in the southwestern region of the Seoul metropolitan area and contributes to balanced development of the metropolitan area, it is important at the national level as well," calling on the government to expedite the project.

Kang-gu Lee, Incheon City Council Member. Incheon City Council

Songdo International City is a core area of the Incheon Free Economic Zone, where transportation demand is rapidly increasing due to ongoing urban development and population growth. In particular, Section 8 of Songdo, where a large-scale residential complex has been developed, suffers from insufficient public transportation networks, causing significant inconvenience to residents, which has led to the promotion of the additional extension project of Incheon Line 1 in Songdo.

However, this project was not selected as a subject for the preliminary feasibility study by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance's Fiscal Project Evaluation Committee last year due to a lack of economic viability. The committee judged that the urgency of the subway extension project decreased because the 'Golden Harbor' private investment project, which accounts for a large portion of the expected transportation demand on the route, was delayed.

To increase the cost-benefit (B/C) ratio of the additional extension project of Incheon Line 1 in Songdo, the city specifically analyzed the transportation demand of the Incheon Port International Passenger Terminal, which was not sufficiently reflected in the previous evaluation, and reapplied for the preliminary feasibility study this year.

The project involves a total cost of 402 billion KRW to extend the terminus of Incheon Line 1 from the current Songdo Dalbit Festival Park Station to Misong Middle School in Section 8 of Songdo by 1.74 km and to construct two stations. The total project cost is shared with 60% from the national government and 40% from the city government.

Lee Kang-gu, the representative proposer of the resolution (National Assembly member for Yeonsu-gu 5), stated, "The extension project of Section 8 of Songdo on Incheon Line 1 is an essential task not only for expanding transportation infrastructure but also for balanced regional development and improving residents' quality of life," emphasizing, "All related agencies, as well as ruling and opposition members of the National Assembly, must closely cooperate to ensure the project's successful implementation."