Western Metropolitan Express Railroad Passes Feasibility Study... Incheon Geomdan/Gyeyang to Seoul Station in 20 Minutes

The long-awaited Western Metropolitan Express Railroad project for residents of the western Seoul metropolitan area is now moving forward in earnest.

Incheon City announced on July 10 that the Western Metropolitan Express Railroad project has officially passed the preliminary feasibility study after being reviewed at the 7th Financial Project Evaluation Committee of the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

The city expects that, once the Western Metropolitan Express Railroad is constructed, it will resolve the chronic traffic congestion in the western Seoul metropolitan area and dramatically improve commuting conditions from Incheon’s Geomdan and Gyeyang districts to Seoul.

The project will create a new 21-kilometer section starting from Janggi in Gimpo, passing through Geomdan and Gyeyang in Incheon, and reaching Bucheon Sports Complex, with a total project cost of 2.671 trillion won. Notably, by sharing tracks with the currently promoted GTX (Metropolitan Express Railroad) -B line, direct service toward Seoul Station will be possible, reducing travel time from Incheon Geomdan to Seoul Station to around 20 minutes.

Metropolitan Express Railroad Route Map. Incheon City

The city also evaluated this as a significant turning point for the promotion of the GTX-D line. Since the Western Metropolitan Express Railroad can serve as a foundational platform for the GTX-D line, it is now highly likely to be included as a new project in the 5th National Rail Network Construction Plan (2026?2035), which is scheduled to be established at the end of this year.

In addition, the city expects positive effects in terms of securing economic feasibility, such as reducing project costs, by sharing tracks with the GTX-D line.

An official from Incheon City stated, "The Western Metropolitan Express Railroad is a transportation revolution that will drastically reduce travel times for the northwestern region of Incheon," adding, "If it is connected with the GTX-B line in southern Incheon and the GTX-D line currently being promoted as a presidential pledge, Incheon will emerge as the central city of an ultra-high-speed metropolitan transportation network connecting east and west."