Uijeongbu City All-In on Line 8 Extension... Full Efforts to Secure Inclusion in 5th Metropolitan Transport Implementation Plan

City Accelerates Efforts to Eliminate Eastern Railway Blind Spots
Pushing for Inclusion of the "Byeollae Byeolgaram?Uijeongbu Station" Route
in the Metropolitan Transport Committee’s Implementation Plan
Focusing on Routes Passing Through Gosan, Minrak, and Eoryong Stations
Over 200,000 Expected to Benefit from Metropolitan Rail Service

Uijeongbu City in Gyeonggi Province is actively working to ensure that the extension of Subway Line 8 (Byeollae Line) to Uijeongbu is included as a new project in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s Metropolitan Transport Committee’s “5th Metropolitan Transport Implementation Plan (2026-2030).”

Uijeongbu City, Full Effort for Extension of Subway Line 8 to Eliminate Blind Spots in the Eastern Railway Area. Provided by Uijeongbu City

The city is making a renewed effort to have the “Line 8 (Byeollae Line) Uijeongbu Extension Project,” which was not included in the “4th National Railway Network Construction Plan” established by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in 2021 or the Committee’s “4th Metropolitan Transport Implementation Plan,” reflected as a new project in the upcoming “5th Plan.”

Instead of the “Byeolgaram~Nogyang” route, which was excluded from the 4th plan, and the “Byeolgaram~Tapseok” route, which was only listed as a subject for further review, Uijeongbu City has devised a new proposal centered on the “Byeollae Byeolgaram~Uijeongbu Station” route. This new plan focuses on strengthening connectivity with the city’s railway network-including the GTX-C Line, Line 1, Gyeongui Line, and light rail-and resolving the disconnected sections of the metropolitan circular railway network.

To this end, in 2022, the city formed the “Uijeongbu City Railway Policy Advisory Group,” consisting of 12 experts in the railway and transportation fields, and began policy discussions. Since 2023, the city has also conducted a “Preliminary Feasibility Study for Uijeongbu City Railway Network Efficiency Measures” to develop detailed alternatives.

The study proposed three route alternatives for extending Line 8 from Byeollae Byeolgaram Station in Namyangju to Uijeongbu Station: ▲Option 1: via Uijeongbu Light Rail Eoryong Station; ▲Option 2: via Uijeongbu Light Rail Songsan Station; ▲Option 3: via Uijeongbu Light Rail and Line 7 Tapseok Station.

Over the two-year process, Uijeongbu City has discussed the direction of the project through National Assembly forums and citizen debates involving both railway experts and local residents. The city has also analyzed various route alternatives through the preliminary feasibility study and held public briefings to share the railway network proposals with citizens, working to build community consensus throughout the process.

As a result of the preliminary feasibility study, Option 1 (via Eoryong Station) was selected as the optimal alternative due to its highest economic feasibility. After consultations with Namyangju City, which will jointly advance the project, the final route proposal was submitted in November 2024 to Gyeonggi Province for delivery to the Metropolitan Transport Committee.

The optimal route covers a 15-kilometer extension passing through Byeollae Byeolgaram (Lines 4 and 8), Cheonghak, Gosan, Minrak, Eoryong (Light Rail), and Uijeongbu (Line 1, GTX-C), with plans to establish five new stations. The total project cost is estimated at approximately 1.8784 trillion won.

With the extension of Line 8, more than 200,000 people-including residents of Uijeongbu and Namyangju as well as new and transient populations from development projects-are expected to benefit from metropolitan rail service.

Uijeongbu City is continuing to consult and request support from relevant agencies, including members of the National Assembly, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Metropolitan Transport Committee, and Gyeonggi Province, to ensure that the Line 8 extension route is included in this higher-level plan.

In December of last year, city officials visited the Metropolitan Transport Committee to meet with Chairman Kim Yongseok, explaining the necessity of balanced development in the Seoul metropolitan area and the justification for extending Line 8, and requested national-level support for the project.

An official from Uijeongbu City stated, “We will make every effort to ensure that the Line 8 Uijeongbu Extension Project, which will be a future growth engine for Uijeongbu, is included in the ‘5th Metropolitan Transport Implementation Plan’ and secures a foundation for advancement.”