The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that the pioneer (first-phase) section of the railway undergrounding project, which was scheduled to be announced at the end of this year, will be postponed to next year. This is due to lengthened consultations with local governments, which argued for including the entire section as a pioneer project.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport stated at the 'Railway Undergrounding Integrated Development Project Implementation Plan' briefing held at the Sejong Government Complex on the 30th, that the railway undergrounding project is a megaproject designed to make trains underground within urban areas and develop the upper and surrounding sites to cover the expense. The ministry plans to announce the pioneer project section early next year after further discussions with local governments.
The railway undergrounding project is based on the special law for railway undergrounding, which takes effect from Jan. 31 next year. It aims to fund the project by developing the upper and surrounding sites into commercial facilities without government financial support. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to select and promote sections of high completeness as pioneer projects.
Currently, five local governments, including Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daejeon, and Gyeonggi Province, have submitted proposals. Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province proposed to include the entire sections within their jurisdictions of the Gyeongbu Line, Gyeongin Line, and Gyeongwon Line as pioneer projects, but the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport deemed selecting specific sections more efficient.
Yun Jinhwan, director of the Railway Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, explained that it is necessary to prioritize areas where railways hinder urban development, particularly within metropolitan cities. Additionally, the Railway Undergrounding Evaluation Committee suggested that further discussions are needed on local governments' sharing of the shortfall in the project cost.
Through the railway undergrounding project implementation plan, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced a 'mid- to long-term roadmap' stating that projects that can cover the undergrounding expense through profits from the development above the railways will be prioritized. Projects lacking business viability will consider local government support plans and regional ripple effects. Additionally, the government plans to establish a subsidiary within the railway corporation as a dedicated institution by the second half of next year. To this end, it will promote amendments to the special law on railway undergrounding.
The newly established institution plans to introduce a joint project implementation structure in collaboration with local governments. To achieve this, amendments to the special law on railway undergrounding will be promoted, and the highest level of development exceptions will be granted to enable high-density, three-dimensional development.
A ministry official emphasized that even if the timing of the pioneer project implementation is slightly delayed, it will still proceed 2 to 3 years ahead of other project sections. The ministry plans to quickly announce the pioneer project section early next year.
To facilitate customized development tailored to regional conditions, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to introduce 16 types of development project models and include a plan to create artificial ground on top of railway facilities. Additionally, task forces (TF) will be formed for key regions to continue consultations with local governments.