"From 1 Hour to Around 20 Minutes" Daechang~Hongdae Metropolitan Railroad in Bucheon Breaks Ground...Opening in 2031

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony for Daechang~Hongdae Line
New Lifeline for Transportation in Western Seoul Metropolitan Area

The construction of the Daechang~Hongdae Metropolitan Railroad project, which will connect the western Seoul metropolitan area and downtown Seoul with travel times in the 20-minute range, has broken ground.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that on the 15th it held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Daechang~Hongdae Metropolitan Railroad, which will improve transportation convenience in the western part of the Seoul metropolitan area, at Ojeong Grand Park in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. About 500 people attended the event, including Kim Yongseok, Chairperson of the Metropolitan Transport Commission of the ministry, the project operator, members of the National Assembly, officials from local governments, and local residents.

Daechang~Hongdae Metropolitan Railroad Route Map. Bucheon City Hall

The Daechang~Hongdae Metropolitan Railroad is a new line connecting a total distance of 20 km from Bucheon Daechang New Town to Hongik University Station on Seoul Subway Line 2. The project began to be discussed in earnest after a consortium led by Hyundai Engineering & Construction proposed it in December 2020 as a private investment project. It has now reached the construction stage after going through administrative procedures, including passing the private investment feasibility review in 2021, selecting the project operator in 2022, and signing the implementation agreement in June last year. The construction period is scheduled to be 72 months. If progress is smooth, the line is expected to open in 2031.

Once the line opens, new railway stations will be built in areas of the western metropolitan region that have so far been underserved by rail transport, including Gogang-dong in Bucheon, Sinwol-dong in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, and the Deogeun District in Goyang. As a metropolitan railroad that operates at higher speeds than ordinary urban railways, it is expected to dramatically reduce travel time from Bucheon Daechang New Town to Hongik University Station in Seoul. Currently, the trip takes about one hour by metropolitan express bus, but once the railway opens, travel time will be reduced to the 20-minute range.

A total project cost of 2.1 trillion won is expected to be invested over the next six years to implement the project. Of this, 1 trillion won will be covered by government finances and other public funds, while the remaining 1.1 trillion won will be raised through private capital. After the railway is completed, the private operator will be responsible for operating it for 40 years.

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yundeok repeatedly urged that the safety of on-site workers be given top priority, saying, "Please do your utmost to push the project forward so that residents in the western Seoul metropolitan area can enjoy a pleasant and relaxed commute as soon as possible."