**Busan~Masan Double-track Railway Construction in its 10th Year… No Opening Date in Sight**
**Travel from Seoul to Gangneung in 2 Hours and Yongsan to Sokcho in 100 Minutes by 2027… Core of Space Compression**
Compared to the metropolitan area, the expansion of regional rail networks remains sluggish… Urgent need for speed and efficiency
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“At some point, I started to avoid business trips on Fridays. It has become extremely difficult to secure a train seat. With the SRT operating out of Suseo Station, nearly all seats are sold out not only on weekends but also on weekdays.”
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport’s statistics, in 2024, the number of high-speed train users is expected to reach 116 million, significantly surpassing the 95 million users in pre-COVID-19 2019. In fact, by 2022, the usage levels had already rebounded to 2019 levels despite the ongoing effects of the pandemic. The utilization rate, which is calculated by dividing the total number of users by the number of available seats, has reached 112%, and for the SRT alone, it stands at 134%, making it unsurprising that finding a seat has become difficult. Gwangmyeong Station, once criticized for having a large station compared to the number of users, now exceeds 12 million annual users, nearing the level of Yongsan Station at 14.9 million. Rail has now become the most preferred mode of transportation for long-distance travel.
The opening of new railway lines has altered travel patterns and the concept of space. The opening of the Gangneung Line for the 2018 Winter Olympics made it possible to travel from Seoul Station to Gangneung Station in 2 hours, turning Gangneung into a day-trip destination from the capital area. The currently under-construction Chuncheon-Sokcho Line is set to be completed by 2027, reducing travel time from Yongsan to Sokcho to 100 minutes, effectively incorporating the entire east coast of Gangwon Province into the capital area. With the completion of the Jungbu Inland Line, which began opening in segments in 2021, it has become possible to commute from Chungju to Pangyo in 1 hour.
The GTX-A northern line, connecting Unjeong Central Station and Seoul Station, opened at the end of December last year, bringing dramatic changes. Travel time from Unjeong New Town in Paju to Seoul Station now takes only 22 minutes. The drastic reduction in commute time has significantly improved the quality of life for GTX-A line users. When the section from Seoul Station to Suseo Station opens in 2026 and the Samsung Station becomes accessible in 2028, travel from northern Gyeonggi to central Gangnam in Seoul will take just 30 minutes. New railways planned for the metropolitan area by 2030 include, beyond GTX-B and C, the Sinanseon Line, Wolgot-Pangyo Line, Dongtan-Incheon Line, Suseo-Gwangju Line, and Daehancheondong Line. The sheer number of extensions, full openings of partially operational lines, and light rail projects are beyond easy reckoning.
Where politicians once trumpeted road construction as their major accomplishment, establishing and extending railways have become a top election pledge. The expansion of railway lines greatly alleviates traffic congestion, reduces air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions, and exerts a significant spatial compression effect that ties previously separate regions into a single living area. However, the ongoing railway line expansion and establishment efforts are predominantly concentrated in the metropolitan area. As the internal transportation network of the metropolitan area, which houses half of the nation’s population, becomes more tightly connected by rail, the integration and economic development of the capital area are being accelerated.
Conversely, the expansion of inter-city railway networks in regional areas is sluggish. Last December, the Daekyeong Line, the first non-metropolitan large area railway connecting Gumi, Daegu, and Gyeongsan over 61.8 kilometers, was opened. This was made possible by operating commuter trains on the existing Gyeongbu Line, which had been freed up by the addition of a dedicated high-speed train line. Though planned since 2007 and completed after 17 years, the Daekyeong Line rapidly reached 60% of its expected demand, with an average of 28,000 users per day just a month after opening. Yet, the train services on the Daekyeong Line are configured with only two train cars. Originally intended to consist of three cars, it was reduced as a cost-saving measure to cut construction and maintenance expenses for platforms. Consequently, the platforms only accommodate two cars, making it difficult to handle increased demand.
While the Daekyeong Line is at least operational, the double-track rail project connecting Busan and Masan has been under construction for ten years. The collapse of the Nakdong River underwater tunnel during construction in 2020 has delayed recovery efforts and left the opening date uncertain. A metropolitan railway connecting Gwangju Metropolitan City and Naju City is also being pursued but is progressing slowly. As the expansion of inter-city rail transport for regional areas lags, residents face higher costs compared to those in the metropolitan area. The distance from Changwon Central Station to Busan Station (43 km) is nearly identical to that from Unjeong Central Station to Seoul Station (40 km). However, GTX-A users pay 4,450 KRW for a 22-minute journey, while residents in the Busan and Gyeongnam regions bear nearly 10,000 KRW when combining tolls and fuel costs, taking nearly an hour of travel time. Including vehicle purchase and maintenance costs further widens the cost gap.
To counter the concentration effect on the capital area and the shrinking of regional areas, regional administrative consolidation is being pursued. The agreement between Daegu Metropolitan City and Gyeongsangbuk-do to integrate as the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Special City serves as a prime example. Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam are moving forward with a super-region economic alliance following the failure of the prior Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Special Union initiative. They aim to narrow the growing gap with the capital area through integration. However, progress on the essential cooperation needed for developing traffic systems for this integration is slow. The advantages of integration cannot be realized without establishing a convenient public transport system centered on rail. To enhance the rail network in regional areas, the government’s policy-driven support and determination are necessary. Distinct economic viability criteria suited for regions with broader areas and smaller populations, inherently less economically viable compared to the capital area, should be presented. Local governments must also collaborate in selecting routes that maximize efficiency and actively participate in efforts to optimize existing transportation systems, such as establishing integrated transfer networks among local governments.
Germany, once divided into over 300 entities, unified through railways, fostering a shared sense of unity through common living experiences. Should our regional areas also achieve a sense of unity through railway transportation, integration will naturally follow.
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