Gimpo to Downtown Seoul in Half the Time: Western Metropolitan Express Railway to Break Ground in 2029

Passed Preliminary Feasibility Study by Government Fiscal Project Evaluation Committee
Busan-Ulsan Metropolitan Railway and Guri-Seongnam Underground Expressway

The Western Metropolitan Express Railway, which will connect the northwestern areas of Seoul, including Gimpo, with downtown Seoul, has passed the government's preliminary feasibility study. The government expects that the travel time, which previously took about an hour, will be reduced to less than half. The metropolitan railway connecting Busan, Yangsan, and Ulsan, as well as the construction of the Guri-Seongnam Underground Expressway, have also passed the review and will proceed as planned.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on July 10 that the Western Metropolitan Express Railway project has passed the preliminary feasibility study at the Fiscal Project Evaluation Committee meeting. The project involves constructing a new 21-kilometer line from Gimpo Janggi Station to Bucheon Sports Complex Station. From Bucheon Sports Complex Station, the line will share the 28-kilometer GTX B Line, connecting directly to Cheongnyangni in Seoul, for a total of 49 kilometers of direct service. The estimated project cost, based on the preliminary feasibility study, is approximately 2.671 trillion won.

This project was previously included in the Fourth National Rail Network Construction Plan. The preliminary feasibility study has been underway since June 2023. Once the new line is completed, travel time from Janggi to Yongsan in Seoul is expected to be about 25 minutes. Currently, this section takes 61 minutes by subway, 78 minutes by bus, and about 42 minutes by car. The journey from Janggi to Cheongnyangni in Seoul will be possible in 33 minutes, which is about one-third of the current bus travel time of 92 minutes.

Location map of the Western Metropolitan Express Railway. As a route under preliminary feasibility study, the detailed route will be decided during the basic planning and design stages in the future. Provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport stated, "With the new metropolitan express railway, residents in the northwestern metropolitan area, including Incheon and Gimpo in Gyeonggi Province, will be able to travel to Cheongnyangni in Seoul without transfers, reducing the Gimpo-Seoul section to around 20 to 30 minutes." The ministry also explained, "This will help disperse transportation demand in the area and alleviate congestion on existing railways and roads, such as the Gimpo Gold Line."

The Busan-Yangsan-Ulsan metropolitan railway project involves building a new 47.6-kilometer metropolitan railway from Nopo Station in Busan to KTX Ulsan Station. Light rail trains will be introduced for this project. The estimated project cost is approximately 2.5475 trillion won. Like the previous project, it was selected as a leading regional metropolitan railway project in the Fourth National Rail Network Construction Plan and has undergone a preliminary feasibility study.

The railway will connect Busan, Yangsan, and Ulsan into a one-hour living zone. By linking with nearby railways such as the Busan Urban Railway, the Jeonggwan Line (under preliminary feasibility study), the Yangsan Line (under construction), and the Ulsan Urban Railway (in design), it is expected to significantly improve transportation convenience for local residents. The travel time from Yangsan to KTX Busan Station will be about 49 minutes, 20 minutes shorter than the current time. The Yangsan-Ulsan City Hall Station section will take about 28 minutes, a reduction of 18 minutes. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport expects that this will contribute to the industrial development of the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam mega-regional economic zone and help address the crisis of local population decline.

Location map of Guri-Seongnam Underground Expressway. Provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

The Guri-Seongnam Underground Expressway project involves constructing a new underground expressway with four to six lanes in both directions over a 31.5-kilometer section from Guri Toegyewon Interchange (IC) to Seongnam Pangyo Junction (JCT). The project cost is set at 4.655 trillion won. The project has been steadily pursued since 2018 as part of plans to improve the metropolitan transportation network for new towns, and it has now passed the preliminary feasibility study.

The goal is to increase road capacity by building the underground expressway beneath the existing expressway in the Toegyewon IC to Pangyo JCT section of the First Seoul Metropolitan Beltway, which is notorious for chronic congestion. There is also an intention to proactively respond to the planned third-phase new towns in nearby areas such as Wangsuk in Namyangju and Gyosan in Hanam.

The government plans to proceed with follow-up procedures, including feasibility studies and basic and detailed design, aiming to begin construction in 2029. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport stated, "Since these projects are key infrastructure for the respective regions, we will expedite the follow-up procedures so that local residents can benefit from them as soon as possible."