Key Gyeongbu High-Speed Railway Section to Go Underground by 2036

The Suseok-Gwangmyeong section of the Gyeongbu high-speed railway, identified as a major bottleneck, is set to undergo an underground tunneling project with a targeted completion and opening in 2036. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport announced its basic plan to construct dedicated underground tracks for KTX trains along the 24.5 km stretch from Suseok to Seoul, Yongsan, and Gwangmyeong.

This section is crucial as it is traversed by all trains, including KTX, conventional trains, and freight trains, heading towards Busan and Daegu (Gyeongbu line) or Gwangju and Mokpo (Honam line) after departing from Seoul and Yongsan stations. The shared use of tracks by various train types has led to significant congestion, limiting the speed and frequency of KTX operations, according to the ministry.

The underground tunneling project is expected to drastically reduce train travel times and increase operational frequency. The journey time between Haengsin and Gwangmyeong, currently around 40 minutes, is projected to be cut by approximately 17 minutes and 30 seconds to about 22 minutes and 30 seconds after the line opens in 2036. Similarly, the Seoul-Gwangmyeong travel time is expected to decrease from 17 minutes to 7 minutes and 45 seconds.

“

The construction of the high-speed rail dedicated line from Suseok to Gwangmyeong will enable high-speed trains operating in Seoul and Yongsan to run faster and more frequently.

Furthermore, the number of KTX train services is anticipated to rise from 147 to 183 per day. The total investment for this project is estimated at 3.223 trillion won. The government also anticipates a substantial increase in KTX seat availability once the Pyeongtaek-Osong second parallel track construction project, scheduled to open in 2028, is completed.

Kim Tae-byeong, Director-General of the Railway Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, stated, "The construction of the high-speed rail dedicated line from Suseok to Gwangmyeong will enable high-speed trains operating in Seoul and Yongsan to run faster and more frequently." He added, "In conjunction with the Pyeongtaek-Osong high-speed rail capacity expansion project, we will proceed without delay to ensure that the public can use high-speed rail more conveniently."

“

In conjunction with the Pyeongtaek-Osong high-speed rail capacity expansion project, we will proceed without delay to ensure that the public can use high-speed rail more conveniently.