Will the Busan-Gangneung 3-Hour 20-Minute Era Begin? All-Out Push for Samcheok-Gangneung High-Speed Railway Feasibility Approval

Gangwon Province Urges Approval for Samcheok-Gangneung High-Speed Railway
Ministry of Economy and Finance SOC Subcommittee to Convene; Results Expected in January or February
Governor Kim Jin-tae to Attend with Local City and County Leaders

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) has strongly urged the approval of the preliminary feasibility study for the Samcheok-Gangneung High-Speed Railway project, as the Ministry of Economy and Finance's SOC Subcommittee is scheduled to convene this month and the results of the study are expected to be announced as early as January or February.

A view of Gangwon Provincial Government Building. Provided by Gangwon Provincial Government

The Samcheok-Gangneung High-Speed Railway project aims to upgrade the only low-speed section (approximately 60-70 km/h) among the Donghae Line segments opened between the 1940s and 1960s to speeds of over 200 km/h. The project covers a total length of 45.8 kilometers and involves a total investment of 1.1507 trillion won. Upon completion, the travel time between Busan and Gangneung is expected to be reduced by about 30 minutes, from the current 3 hours and 50 minutes to approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes.

Since the opening of the Donghae Line on January 1, 2025, the ITX train has operated four round trips daily, and cumulative ridership from January to November has surpassed 1.81 million passengers, quickly establishing it as a popular route. However, the lengthy travel time of approximately 4 hours and 50 minutes by ITX has been cited as a limitation to further expanding usage.

Accordingly, from December 30, 2025, three additional round trips of KTX trains will be introduced, reducing the travel time to around 3 hours and 50 minutes. This is expected to meet the annual demand of about 2.84 million passengers. In particular, demand for the Donghae Line high-speed rail has already been proven, with more than 2,000 passengers using the KTX-Eum on its first day of operation.

The province has continuously worked to improve rail services along the East Coast, including the introduction of KTX trains on the Donghae Line and requests to increase service on the Gangneung and Donghae lines. Through the successful completion of the preliminary feasibility study for the Samcheok-Gangneung High-Speed Railway, the province expects to: complete the Donghae Line high-speed rail network; realize a one-day living zone along the East Coast; enhance overall competitiveness in tourism, logistics, and industry; and establish key infrastructure for balanced regional development along the East Coast.

Governor Kim Jin-tae stated, "Day and night, whether sitting or standing, my focus has been on the Yongmun-Hongcheon and Gangneung-Samcheok sections, but now only Gangneung-Samcheok remains. Of the 475 kilometers from Gangneung to Busan, only the 45-kilometer section in Gangwon Province still uses outdated tracks laid decades ago."

He added, "This is not a project solely for Gangwon Province. It is not desirable that, even after investing as much as 13 trillion won, some sections still operate at a snail's pace. To complete the final piece of the East Coast high-speed rail puzzle, I will attend the subcommittee meeting with the heads of the relevant cities and counties to provide a direct explanation."