A railroad that will cut through Saemangeum Port and be consolidated directly to the harbor will enter design in the first half of this year. Korea National Railway will solicit designers for key areas such as the roadbed, spending more than 70 billion won on design costs. The rail construction project has a project cost exceeding 1.5 trillion won, and is expected to generate more than 2 trillion won in production inducement effects in the region.
According to Korea National Railway on the 9th, the agency will order the basic design for the Saemangeum Port access railroad in the first half. The Saemangeum Port access railroad is the first rail line to cut through Saemangeum. A Korea National Railway official said, "We plan to order designs across all areas, including the 74.5 billion won roadbed, track, and systems, in the first half of this year."
The project aims to provide rail services for passengers and cargo arising from Saemangeum's development and to consolidate Saemangeum with major cities in North Jeolla Province by rail. The project operator is Korea National Railway, and the total project cost is 1.5859 trillion won. It will consolidate a 48.3-kilometer section from Daeya-myeon in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, to Zone 2 of Saemangeum. A new 29.3-kilometer line will be built, and a 19-kilometer section of the existing Gunsan Port Line will be upgraded for use. The agency plans to select a designer, complete the design, and then choose a construction company for the build.
A total of seven stations will be installed. Four stations, including Saemangeum International Airport Station and Waterfront City Station, will be newly built, while two—Daeya Station and Gunsan Oksan Signal Station—will be upgraded for use. A Saemangeum Development and Investment Agency official said, "The access railroad will pass through Daeya, Saemangeum Airport, and the smart waterfront city, and then continue to the new port," adding, "Most ports are consolidated by rail, which is the most economical way to move cargo, and Saemangeum Port was designed with this structure."
Earlier, the project completed a preliminary feasibility review in Jun. 2019 and underwent a preliminary feasibility study in Mar. 2020. After that, the basic plan was announced in Nov. 2025. According to the preliminary feasibility study results analyzed by the Korea Institute of Public Finance (KIPF), the production inducement effect of the access railroad is 2.2152 trillion won, with 14,788 jobs induced and 758.2 billion won in value-added inducement.
Kon Kuk University economics professor Lee Hwan-ung said, "The Saemangeum Port access railroad is essential infrastructure that dovetails with various urban plans in the area," adding, "Through synergy with Saemangeum Port city development, we can expect significant economic and industrial effects."