Seoul, Busan, and Other Cities Submit Proposals for Railway Undergrounding Projects... Target Sites to Be Selected Next Month

Formation of Expert Participation Evaluation Committees for Urban, Finance, and Railroad Sectors

Track view near Yongsan Station, Seoul. [Photo by Yonhap News]

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 28th that five local governments, including Seoul and Busan, submitted proposals for the integrated development project of railway undergrounding by the 25th. The target projects will be designated in December.

In January, the Ministry announced the railway undergrounding project at a public discussion on the theme of 'Three Major Innovation Plans in the Transportation Sector.' In March, they began establishing a comprehensive plan.

In April, a consultative body composed of experts from various fields such as urban planning, finance, and railways was formed. Through this, they communicated with local governments and distributed guidelines in June to support project proposals. Additionally, 22 expert consultations were conducted.

The proposed routes this time include five lines: Seoul Gyeongbu Line (34.7 km including connecting lines), Gyeongwon Line (32.9 km including connecting lines), and Busan Gyeongbu Line (11.7 km), among others.

The Ministry will select the target projects in December. An evaluation committee consisting of experts in urban planning, finance, and railways will review the feasibility of the project plans, the rationality of cost estimates, and financial feasibility through document evaluation, presentation evaluation, and on-site evaluation.

Furthermore, by May next year, a second round of project proposals will be received from local governments, and the integrated development target projects for railway undergrounding nationwide will be included in the comprehensive plan by the end of next year.

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