The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 6th that it will enhance the coordinated transportation of the Greater Seoul Metropolitan Region’s Metropolitan Express Railway (GTX)-A Dongtan, Seongnam, and Guseong stations. Since the opening of the GTX-A Suseo to Dongtan section in March, the actual number of passengers has fallen below expectations, prompting concerns that the inadequate connectivity of major stations has reduced accessibility.
Dongtan station will open an additional 6 east-west connecting roads in the vicinity by the end of the year. Two of the roads will open in August, and the remaining four will open in December. It is expected that the connectivity of Dongtan station’s east-west areas across the Gyeongbu Expressway will greatly improve convenience through the underground construction of the Gyeongbu Expressway and the connecting roads above it.
Bus routes that used to detour will be adjusted to direct routes. Currently, it takes about 40-50 minutes by bus from Sodongtan and Byeongjeom stations to Dongtan station during commuting hours. Adjusting to direct routes is expected to reduce the travel time by more than 10 minutes.
To improve accessibility within Dongtan New City, 5 new bus routes for commuting purposes will be established. The new routes will pass through Yeongcheon-dong, Jungdong, Sindong, Songdong, and Neungdong in Hwaseong City to Dongtan station. These routes will operate during high-demand commuting hours, running 3 times at 10-15 minute intervals.
Efforts are also being made to increase the convenience of transferring from private cars near Dongtan station. A total of 566 underground parking spaces will be installed at Yeoul Park near Dongtan station, along with a temporary pedestrian walkway connecting the parking lot to Dongtan station to enhance the convenience of passengers traveling by car. Plans are underway to expand inter-city transportation by introducing new high-speed bus routes from Dongtan to Sejong in the second half of this year.
In Seongnam station, taxi stands and transfer stop areas will be installed near the entrances in the first half of the year to enhance the convenience of car transfers.
Guseong station, scheduled to open at the end of June, will have 16 buses rerouted to pass through the station. By the end of the year, 8 buses will be added, a new route will be established, and the parking lot will be expanded to accommodate 170 spaces. In line with the opening of the new GTX 2nd exit in December, new bus stops will be installed. Plans are also being considered to adjust existing routes to allow for 5 bus routes to pass through. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has been working with a dedicated coordination team with Gyeonggi Hwaseong, Yongin, Seongnam, and the “Coordination Transport Task Force” to explore ways to strengthen connectivity between stations.