'Southwest Metropolitan Railroad' Relaunched as Private Investment Project

Integration of Second Gyeongin Line and Sincheon?Haan?Sillim Line into a Single System
Branching from Eungye District in Siheung to Bucheon?Mokdong and Gwangmyeong?Sillim

The 'Southwest Metropolitan Railroad' project, which connects southern Incheon and the southwest region of Gyeonggi Province to western Seoul, will be relaunched as a private investment project.

On December 23, members of the National Assembly representing Seoul's Guro and Geumcheon districts, as well as the cities of Siheung, Gwangmyeong, and Bucheon, along with the mayors of these cities, held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office. They announced plans to reorganize and promote the 'Southwest Metropolitan Railroad' project, which integrates the Second Gyeongin Line, the New Guro Line, and the Sincheon-Haan-Sillim Line-currently included in the Fourth National Railroad Network Construction Plan-into a single system using a private investment approach.

At the press conference for the re-promotion of the 'Southwest Metropolitan Railroad of the Seoul Metropolitan Area' held at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 23rd, major mayors and members of the National Assembly pledged cooperation for the success of the project. Provided by Siheung City

Since 2018, the Second Gyeongin Line, the New Guro Line, and the branch line connecting Sincheon, Haan, and Sillim have been included in the government's Fourth National Railroad Network Construction Plan. However, the project was halted in 2023 after the prerequisite condition of relocating the Guro Train Depot to Gwangmyeong fell through. That same year, Daewoo Engineering & Construction attempted to proceed with the project as a private investment, but this was also withdrawn earlier this year after a feasibility study by the Korea Development Institute (KDI) found the project to be economically unviable.

Over the past 10 months, local governments have worked to supplement the route configuration, demand forecasts, and project methodology. As a result, they have decided to integrate the two projects into a single system and pursue them again as a private investment initiative.

The route proposed by the local governments will connect Cheonghak, Nonhyeon, Dorim, and Seochang in Incheon to the Eungye District in Siheung, where it will split into two branches. One branch will pass through Ok-gil and Beombak in Bucheon and continue to Guro and Mok-dong in Seoul. The other branch will go through Haan in Gwangmyeong and connect to Geumcheon and Sillim in Seoul.

This dual-axis structure allows for dispersed access to major hubs in Seoul based on travel purpose, rather than concentrating demand at a single point as in existing metropolitan rail systems. Local governments explained that this approach can help alleviate traffic congestion and improve operational efficiency of the railroad.

In particular, by restructuring the project to strengthen the feasibility of private investment based on the existing National Railroad Network Construction Plan, local governments stated that they have maintained continuity with government transportation policy while also increasing the likelihood of passing the private investment feasibility study.

According to this proposal, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will review documents submitted by private investors and submit a request for a private investment feasibility study to KDI in January 2026. Based on the results of the study in the first half of 2027, a public notice for third-party proposals will be issued, followed by the selection of a preferred bidder in 2028, groundbreaking in 2030, and completion in 2036, according to the local governments' plan.

Lim Byeongtaek, Mayor of Siheung, stated, "The Southwest Metropolitan Railroad is a key infrastructure that will transform the daily lives of citizens. We will do our utmost to deliver real change to residents who have long suffered from transportation inconveniences."

Park Seungwon, Mayor of Gwangmyeong, also remarked, "The Sincheon-Haan-Sillim Line is a major route that can help disperse Seoul-bound travel demand from the southwest metropolitan area. We will keep both public funding and private investment options open and pursue the fastest possible implementation."

Mayor Park added, "We will utilize every possible means, without being tied to a specific project method, to complete the railroad network as soon as possible and prioritize guaranteeing citizens' basic right to transportation."