Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony for Daechang~Hongdae Line
New Lifeline for Transportation in Western Seoul Metropolitan Area
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Daechang~Hongdae Metropolitan Railroad project, which will connect the western Seoul metropolitan area and downtown Seoul within around 20 minutes, has officially taken place.
On December 15, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that it held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Daechang~Hongdae Metropolitan Railroad at Ojeong Grand Park in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, aiming to improve transportation convenience in the western Seoul metropolitan area. The event was attended by approximately 500 people, including Kim Yongseok, Chairman of the Metropolitan Transport Commission at the Ministry, project operators, members of the National Assembly, local government officials, and area residents.
The Daechang~Hongdae Metropolitan Railroad is a newly constructed line spanning a total of 20 kilometers, connecting Bucheon Daechang New Town to Hongdae Entrance Station on Seoul Subway Line 2. The project began in earnest after being proposed as a private investment initiative by a Hyundai Engineering & Construction consortium in December 2020. It subsequently passed a private investment feasibility study in 2021, recruited project operators in 2022, and signed an implementation agreement in June last year, completing the necessary administrative procedures leading up to this groundbreaking. The construction period is scheduled for 72 months, and if progress continues smoothly, the line is expected to open in 2031.
Once the new line opens, new railway stations will be established in areas of the western metropolitan region that have been underserved by rail transit, such as Gokang-dong in Bucheon, Sinwol-dong in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, and Deogeun District in Goyang. As a metropolitan railroad that operates at higher speeds than standard urban railways, travel time from Bucheon Daechang New Town to Hongdae Entrance Station in Seoul will be dramatically reduced. While the current journey takes about one hour by express bus, the new rail line will cut travel time down to around 20 minutes.
A total project budget of 2.1 trillion won will be invested over the next six years to advance the project. Of this, 1 trillion won will be funded through government finances and other public sources, while the remaining 1.1 trillion won will be raised through private capital. After the railroad is completed, a private operator will manage its operations for 40 years.
Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yoonduk emphasized, "Please make every effort to ensure that residents in the western metropolitan area can soon enjoy a comfortable and relaxed commute," and repeatedly stressed that the safety of on-site workers should be the top priority.
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