Guri City Secures Economic and Technical Feasibility
"Overcoming the 1.5 km Distance Limitation Between Stations"
Strong Appeal for GTX-B Stop at Galmae Station
The Only Solution to Prevent a Transportation Crisis
Guri City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Baek Kyunghyun) has strongly urged the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to make a principled policy decision regarding the addition of a stop at Galmae Station on the Metropolitan Express Railway Line B (GTX-B). The city emphasized that, despite sufficient economic and technical feasibility already being demonstrated, the transportation rights of the approximately 60,000 residents of the Galmae District are being neglected due to factors such as the close proximity (1.5 km) to Byeollae Station.
Guri City has carried out the necessary review procedures through consultations with relevant agencies regarding the feasibility assessment. The city believes that the decision to add a stop at Galmae Station has now reached a stage where a policy decision must be made based on the results of the feasibility study.
According to the results of the feasibility study conducted by the National Railway Authority, the benefit-cost ratio (B/C) for stopping at Galmae Station and utilizing the shared platform with the Gyeongchun Line was 1.45, confirming its economic feasibility. It was also found to meet GTX operational standards, such as an average speed of 90 km/h and access to major hubs within 30 minutes. Furthermore, reviews of train operation plans and signaling systems revealed no technical issues.
Nevertheless, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport cited several reasons for its position that the project does not meet the requirements of the "Metropolitan Railway Project Work Guidelines" and is therefore difficult to proceed with at this stage, although it may be reconsidered if circumstances change in the future. The reasons include: the guideline of a 4 km minimum distance between stations, passenger demand, the absence of a transfer plan, and objections from private operators to the use of shared platforms.
The Ministry further stated, "Additional stops can only be considered when all requirements for additional stations under the relevant guidelines are met. However, Galmae Station is only 1.5 km from Byeollae Station, which is too close. It also fails to meet requirements regarding passenger demand and transfers to other metropolitan express railways. In addition, the accessibility of Byeollae Station is similar for both the Guri Galmae District and Namyangju Byeollae New Town. Taking all these factors into account, the project lacks sufficient justification."
In response, Guri City views this assessment as a limited conclusion that fails to fully reflect both the structural issue of insufficient metropolitan transportation measures at the time of the Galmae District's development, and the reality of increasingly severe traffic congestion caused by the sequential development of nearby new towns such as Wangsuk and Jingun.
Accordingly, Guri City defines the addition of a GTX-B stop at Galmae Station not as a simple "new station" issue, but as an essential policy project to resolve the metropolitan transportation crisis in the northeastern part of the capital region. The city plans to formally request that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport designate this as a "core project for metropolitan transportation improvement measures."
Additionally, Guri City will continue substantive discussions with private operators regarding project cost sharing based on the "beneficiary pays" principle, compensation for fare losses, and the use of shared platforms. The city also plans to highlight that the transportation disconnection within the Galmae District cannot be resolved solely through the connection to Line 8 Byeollae Station, and will actively emphasize that adding a GTX-B stop at Galmae Station is not a "redundant investment" but the only viable solution to fill the transportation gap.
In particular, the city will share with residents that, if the Galmae Station stop is not realized, severe traffic congestion and a major public transportation crisis during commuting hours will be unavoidable. Guri City plans to unite public opinion and formally submit citizens' opinions to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport as part of a strong response.
Guri City stated, "The distance and demand figures in the guidelines alone cannot explain the real transportation inconvenience experienced by Galmae District residents. While we respect the government's principles, the addition of a GTX-B stop at Galmae Station is directly linked to the survival rights of more than 60,000 Galmae citizens. It is now time for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to make a decisive policy decision."
Meanwhile, Guri City is continuously reviewing plans to reorganize the public transportation system and improve transfers to other metropolitan railways, based on the assumption that the GTX-B will stop at Galmae Station. The city is preparing to implement these measures immediately once a policy decision is made, thereby maximizing transportation convenience for its citizens.
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