Gyeonggi Province Requests Inclusion of Four Railway Lines in MOLIT Undergrounding Plan... Kickstarting Urban Renewal

Gyeonggi Province Proposes Inclusion of Gyeongbu, Gyeongin, Ansan, and Gyeongui-Jungang Lines
Project Proposal Submitted for MOLIT's Year-End "Comprehensive Plan for Integrated Railway Underground Development"
Proposal for Undergrounding Four Railway Lines: Gyeongbu, Gyeongin, Ansan, and Gyeongui-Jungang
Expectations for Revitalizing the Local Economy and Improving Living Conditions Through Development of Land Above Underground Railways

Gyeonggi Province announced on June 2 that it has proposed to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) that sections of four railway lines?Gyeongbu Line, Gyeongin Line, Ansan Line, and Gyeongui-Jungang Line?be included in the "Comprehensive Plan for Integrated Railway Underground Development," which is scheduled to be established by the end of this year.

"Integrated Railway Underground Development" refers to a project in which a project operator (a government-funded enterprise) receives railway land as capital, implements the railway undergrounding project by issuing bonds, and then repays the project costs using revenue generated from developing the undergrounded railway land and its surrounding areas.

According to Article 4 of the "Special Act on Integrated Railway Underground Development and Railway Land Development," MOLIT plans to establish the "Comprehensive Plan for Integrated Railway Underground Development" by the end of 2025. Only projects included in this comprehensive plan will be eligible to proceed with railway undergrounding.

Gyeonggi Province collected proposals for partial sections of four railway lines in six cities?Gyeongbu Line (Anyang, Gunpo, Uiwang, Pyeongtaek), Gyeongin Line (Bucheon), Ansan Line (Gunpo), and Gyeongui-Jungang Line (Paju)?and submitted them to MOLIT on May 30.

Separately, in February, MOLIT announced a pilot project for the "Integrated Railway Underground Development" to accelerate early implementation. Within Gyeonggi Province, a 5.1-kilometer section of the Ansan Line has been designated and is currently being prepared for the project.

Gyeonggi Province expects that undergrounding surface railways will not only improve the environment by reducing noise, but also enable the creation of commercial, cultural, and green mixed-use spaces on the land above the undergrounded railways, revitalize the local economy, and enhance urban sustainability through improved transportation connectivity.

MOLIT will review proposals from metropolitan governments submitted by May 30 for project feasibility and plans to announce the selected projects by the end of December this year. Gyeonggi Province intends to make every effort to ensure its proposed projects are selected until the announcement is made.