Busan-Yangsan-Ulsan Metropolitan Railroad Passes Preliminary Feasibility Study ... Gyeongnam Province Calls It "First Step Toward Administrative Integration"

Expectation for Realization of the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam One-Hour Living Zone

Gyeongnam Province announced the news that the Busan-Yangsan-Ulsan Metropolitan Railroad project has passed the preliminary feasibility study by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, expressing expectations for the realization of the "Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam one-hour living zone."

On July 10, Governor Park Wansu personally announced this news at the provincial government press center, stating, "This is the first step toward administrative integration that unites Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam into a single living zone, and it is also the first core project of the ultra-wide economic alliance that the governors of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam have worked on together."

Park Wansu, Governor of Gyeongnam Province, is announcing the news of the preliminary feasibility study approval by the Ministry of Economy and Finance for the Busan-Yangsan-Ulsan metropolitan railway. Photo by Lee Seryung

This metropolitan railroad project will invest a total of 2.5 trillion won to construct 11 new stations along a 47.4-kilometer section from Nopo Station in Busan, passing through Wungsan Station in Yangsan, and ending at Ulsan KTX Station.

Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) vehicles with steel wheels will operate 35 times a day on this route, connecting the 11 new stations?including 3 in Yangsan, 6 in Ulsan, and 2 in Busan?in about 45 minutes.

Gyeongnam Province expects that, in the second half of this year, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will begin the feasibility study and basic planning services.

During this process, surveying and ground investigations, collection of opinions from local governments and relevant experts, strategic environmental impact assessments, disaster impact reviews, and consultations on the total project cost will be conducted, leading to the determination of the general route and station locations. Afterward, the project will proceed through basic and detailed design, approval and announcement of the implementation plan, and then construction will begin.

Seongjun Park, Director of Transportation and Construction Bureau of Gyeongnam Province, is explaining the Busan-Yangsan-Ulsan metropolitan railway line. Photo by Seryeong Lee

The province anticipates that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's feasibility study and basic planning will take one year, the National Railroad Authority's basic and detailed design will take three years, and the Ministry's approval of the implementation plan will take six months, with construction starting in 2030 and completion expected in 2035.

Once completed, the railroad will be connected to existing rail networks such as the Yangsan Line, Busan Line 1, Ulsan Line 1, and the Jeonggwan Line, as well as to new rail networks that will be established in the future.

The project is expected to generate significant economic effects, including 1.0457 trillion won in production inducement, 6,569 new jobs, and 427.4 billion won in added value.

Busan~Yangsan~Ulsan Metropolitan Railroad Route Map. Provided by Gyeongnam Province

Governor Park stated, "Once this railroad opens, Busan, Yangsan, and Ulsan will be integrated into a one-hour living zone," adding, "In particular, I believe that commuting, attending school, and accessing hospitals will become much more convenient for residents of the Wungsan area in Yangsan."

He continued, "There may be concerns about population outflow from Yangsan as accessibility between the three regions improves." However, he emphasized, "In the end, cities develop together through complementary functions, and expanding the metropolitan transportation network to develop the region will be more beneficial for residents' lives and industrial growth."

Additionally, he said, "For Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam to build competitiveness in response to the concentration of the capital region, it is essential to continue close cooperation in transportation and other fields and to strive to develop as a single urban zone." He added, "These efforts will foster a sense of unity among the residents of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam, and that unity will become the driving force for integration, ultimately contributing to administrative integration as well."

Governor Park pledged, "The passage of this preliminary feasibility study is an achievement accomplished together by Gyeongnam Province, Busan City, and Ulsan City. We will do our utmost to ensure that this metropolitan railroad, which embodies the wishes of 7.6 million residents of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam and the government's commitment to balanced national development, breaks ground as soon as possible."