Six long-sought lines for residents in transit-poor areas, including the Gangbuk Crosstown Line linking Mokdong Station and Cheongnyangni Station and the Nangok Line connecting Boramae Park Station and Nanhyang-dong, will be included in Seoul's third urban rail network construction plan.
On the 10th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said it will draw up the third urban rail network construction plan to support the large-scale overhaul of the Gangbuk and southwestern areas and balanced regional development.
The plan includes six lines: the Gangbuk Crosstown Line, Nangok Line, Seonam Line, Seobu Line, southern extension of the Seobu Line, and northern extension of the Sillim Line. The total length is 68.5 kilometers, with a project cost of 9.1996 trillion won.
The city reviewed 250 lines, considering demand within the area of influence, overlapping sections, technical conditions, and rail plans by the central government and adjacent local governments. It then conducted a comprehensive review of economic feasibility and policy relevance and selected the final six lines.
The Gangbuk Crosstown Line runs 25.79 kilometers from Mokdong Station to Cheongnyangni Station, the longest among the third-round urban rail projects. The city plans to improve the alignment and other aspects to enhance business feasibility and push it as a main line traversing the northeast, northwest, and southwest areas.
Although the line has been under review since the second urban rail network plan, it has faced difficulties due to low business feasibility. In this plan, the city reduced two stations and reflected 49 future development plans to improve feasibility.
The Nangok Line links Boramae Park Station and Nanhyang-dong. The city reduced the number of stations from six to five and updated development plans, including the Sillim District 7 project, to improve feasibility.
The Seonam Line expands on the existing Mokdong Line plan. The main line is planned to run from Magongnaru Station to Gasan Digital Complex Station, and the branch line is planned to connect the Seobu Truck Terminal to Dangsan Station. Compared with the existing Mokdong Line, the northern and southern endpoints are extended, and demand from the Mokdong redevelopment area is additionally reflected.
For the Seobu Line, the city will simultaneously consider re-announcing the private investment project and converting it to a fiscal project to ensure uninterrupted progress. The southern extension of the Seobu Line will link Seoul National University Station and the university's main gate, while the northern extension of the Sillim Line will connect Saetgang Station and Yeouido to supplement sections with low rail accessibility.
The city projected that if the plan is realized, the average access time to subway stations will decrease from 9.97 minutes to 8.03 minutes. The beneficiary population within the influence areas of the new lines is also expected to increase by 360,000 to 7.83 million.
The city expects the third urban rail network plan to have a higher chance of passing the preliminary feasibility study, as the Ministry of Planning and Budget's reform plan for the system in March included items related to balanced regional development and greater efficiency in the public transit system.
Going forward, the city will begin consultations with relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and hear opinions from the city council. On the 30th, it will hold a public hearing at the Seosomun government complex at City Hall to gather citizen feedback, and in the second half, it plans to push in earnest for approval procedures by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT).
Meanwhile, the Dongbu Line, a new light rail line linking Gangnam and Gangbuk, will be pursued by reviewing business feasibility reflecting the latest demand and then changing the third urban rail network accordingly.
Oh Se-hoon, the Seoul mayor, said, "We will expand rail infrastructure and advance transportation services with speed and without setbacks to increase what residents feel on the ground and lead an era of an overwhelming transformation in Seoul's transportation."