Goyang City Ramps Up Efforts for Incheon Line 2 Extension Feasibility Approval... Min Kyungsun's 'Major Railway Transformation' Accelerates

Promoting Inclusion of Goyang-Eunpyeong Line Ilsan Extension in the National Plan
Expansion Accelerates: Byeokje Station Stop and Hyangdong Station Construction
Mayor Min Kyung-sun: "Expanding Railways Will Give Commuting Time Back to Citizens"

Goyang Special City in Gyeonggi Province, led by Mayor Min Kyung-sun, is accelerating key railway pledges made during the 9th term of local government, including the Incheon Line 2 Goyang Extension and the Goyang-Eunpyeong Line Ilsan Extension. The city plans to transform the transportation network in the northwestern part of the Seoul metropolitan area by rigorously managing critical milestones such as inclusion in the national plan, passing preliminary feasibility studies, and securing project funding for each project.

Minkyung Sun, Mayor of Goyang Special City (left), met with Yoonduk Kim, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, on the 28th of last month to request the inclusion of major railway projects in Goyang City in the national plan and their expedited implementation. Provided by Goyang City

Since taking office, Mayor Min Kyung-sun has met successively with Hong Jisun, the Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, as well as ministers from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Chairperson of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, among others, to explain the necessity of railway projects. Collaborating with National Assembly members Kim Sung-hoe, Han Jun-ho, Lee Ki-heon, and Kim Young-hwan, the city has been laying the groundwork to ensure the inclusion of these projects in the national plan and budget.

The most urgent task is passing the preliminary feasibility study for the Incheon Line 2 Goyang Extension. This project involves the construction of a 19.63-kilometer railway route connecting Dokjeong Station in Seo-gu, Incheon, to Gulpobukbyeon Station in Gimpo, and then to Kintex, Juyeop, Ilsan, and Jungsan Districts in Goyang. The plan calls for the addition of 12 stations and one train depot, with a total project cost of approximately KRW 2.083 trillion.

Once the line is opened, residents in western Goyang will be able to travel to and from Gimpo and Incheon without transfers. The project is expected to ease the chronic transportation congestion in the northwestern Seoul metropolitan area and to better connect the living zones between regions.

The project was selected for preliminary feasibility evaluation in July 2023 and is currently under review by the Korea Development Institute (KDI). A positive factor is that, as of January this year, the operational guidelines for the feasibility study were revised, allowing Goyang City—being a border area and a congestion-control zone—to be assessed as a non-metropolitan area type. This provides a basis for the evaluation to incorporate not only economic viability but also the effects on regional balanced development.

Goyang City, together with Gyeonggi Province, Incheon City, and Gimpo City, has submitted data on development plans, transport demand, transfer effects, and balanced development in border regions to KDI. In July, the status and key issues were shared at a Metropolitan Transportation Commission meeting. If the project passes the feasibility study, the city plans to swiftly proceed with the formulation of the basic plan and the design phase.

The key to the Goyang-Eunpyeong Line Ilsan Extension is its inclusion in the national plan. This project would extend the Goyang-Eunpyeong Line—which currently links Saejeol Station in Seoul to Goyang City Hall—by 2.04 kilometers to Siksa-dong in Ilsan-dong District, Goyang, with a total project cost of approximately KRW 236.1 billion. To obtain national government funding, the project must be included in the "5th Metropolitan Area Transportation Implementation Plan."

Incheon Line 2 Goyang Extension Route Map. Provided by Goyang City

Goyang Eunpyeong Line Ilsan Extension Route Map. Provided by Goyang City

The current population in the Siksa-Fungdong area is approximately 80,000. Once the development of Fungdong 2 District and Siksa 2 District is complete, the residential area is expected to reach about 105,000 people. The city believes that an extension of the railway line is necessary to accommodate increasing transportation demand and to alleviate chronic congestion on Goyang-daero.

The city is also considering the establishment of a new Hwasu Station along the route. Goyang City has secured a preliminary feasibility study budget of KRW 150 million and plans to coordinate with authorities at Gyeonggi Province, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH). If Hwasu Station is built, the city expects improved transportation convenience for the Changneung New Town and Hwajeong-Dukyang areas, as well as better access to cultural facilities such as Goyang Eoullimnuri.

In the case of the Gyeongui-Jungang Line, where passenger service had been suspended since 2004 and only resumed in January last year, the city is seeking to resume stops at Byeokje Station. The Gyeongui-Jungang Line is a 30.3-kilometer route extending from Daegok Station through Jangheung and Songchu in Yangju to Uijeongbu Station. However, within Goyang City, the only stops are Daegok and Wonreung Stations.

Goyang City is reviewing the feasibility of stops at stations including Byeokje Station, allocating KRW 150 million for the study and an additional KRW 21 million for verification costs. The city will assess demand, operational plans, facility improvements, and cost-sharing measures, and plans to consult with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL).

The city is also promoting the establishment of Hyangdong Station on the Gyeongui-Jungang Line and the expansion of railway tracks. An additional KRW 533 million has been secured for the detailed design of Hyangdong Station, and a budget of KRW 200 million for the study on track expansion—which aims to shorten train intervals—has been requested in next year's main budget.

Goyang City intends to manage the entire process for each project in stages, covering funding, technical and financial review, inclusion in the national plan, preliminary feasibility studies, basic planning, design, and groundbreaking. Through the expansion of the railway network, the goal of the 9th-term administration's "Major Railway Transformation" is to position Goyang as the transportation hub of the northwestern Seoul metropolitan area.

Minkyung Sun, Mayor of Goyang Special City, is inspecting the site conditions at the candidate location for the new Hwasu Station on the Goyang-Eunpyeong Line on August 18. Provided by Goyang City

Mayor Min Kyung-sun said, "Railways are key infrastructure that give time back to our citizens and enhance our city's competitiveness," adding, "We will not wait for results, but will proactively visit the National Assembly, the central government, and other relevant agencies until our projects are included in the national plan and budget."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.