It will be possible to reach Seoul Station in 38 minutes from Incheon Geomdan New Town. This is thanks to the 'Geomdan Extension Line,' which will open on the 28th, extending Incheon Urban Railway Line 1. Commuting times will be reduced by more than 30 minutes compared to before, significantly improving the accessibility and transportation convenience for residents of Geomdan New Town.
On the 27th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Incheon Metropolitan City announced that the Geomdan Extension Line will begin full operation starting with the first train at 5:30 a.m. on the 28th from Geomdan Lakes Park Station. The opening ceremony is expected to be held that morning at Sin Geomdan Central Station.
The Geomdan Extension Line is a 6.8 km urban railway line connecting three stations: Ararang Station, Sin Geomdan Central Station, and Geomdan Lakes Park Station from Gyeong Station on Line 1. Approximately 790 billion won has been invested in this project. It has opened five years after construction began in December 2019.
Previously, it took about 40 minutes by bus from Geomdan to Gyeong Station, but with the opening of the extension line, travel time for this segment will be reduced to 8 minutes. Including transfers, it will take a total of 38 minutes to reach Seoul Station, reducing the previously average commuting time of 70 minutes by more than 30 minutes.
The trains operating on the Geomdan Extension Line will consist of eight cars in a single formation and will be manually driven. The capacity is 970 passengers, with a maximum transport capacity of 1,455 at a density of 150%. A unified fare system for the metropolitan area will be applied, with an average distance between stations of 2.26 km and an average operating speed of 48 km/h.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Incheon City have also prepared measures for connecting traffic and congestion management in line with the opening. A total of 26 safety management personnel will be deployed at Gyeong Station, where passenger volumes tend to concentrate during rush hours, to manage boarding and alighting flows and prevent accidents. Four safety management personnel will also be assigned to Ararang Station and Sin Geomdan Central Station.
Two additional transfer gates will be installed at Gyeong Station, and transfer guidance lines and signage will be improved. An emergency response system has also been established in cooperation with related agencies such as the police and fire departments. On the airport railway line, three and six additional train formations will be added in October and December, respectively, to alleviate congestion. As a result, the interval for train operations will be shortened from the current 6 minutes to 4.5 minutes.
New bus routes will also be established to enhance accessibility to each station within Geomdan New Town. Incheon City plans to deploy 13 buses, including city buses 991 and 9902, and operate a total of 168 buses through 19 metropolitan and city bus routes connecting to the stations.
Approximately 200 people, including Kang Hee-eop, Chairperson of the Metropolitan Area Traffic Commission, Yoo Jeong-bok, Mayor of Incheon, local members of the National Assembly, municipal leaders, and residents, are expected to attend the opening ceremony held the day before the opening. Attendees are also expected to participate in a train test ride.
Chairperson Kang Hee-eop noted, 'The Geomdan Extension Line is a long-awaited project for local residents' and expressed expectation that 'this opening will greatly improve accessibility to downtown Seoul. We will thoroughly inspect safety issues even after the opening.'