Seoul City decides to reclassify the Wiryeseosan Line as a public project... Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport approves

Change of Urban Rail Network Construction Plan

[USER PARABOLAㅣJeong Soyang, reporter] The Seoul Metropolitan Government is officially proceeding with the development of the Wiryeseonsa Line, a key transportation project in the southeastern region, by converting it into a financially supported project. After being stagnant for 18 years, the project is expected to accelerate with the establishment of institutional foundations.

Seoul City announced that the "Second Amendment Plan for Seoul's Urban Rail Network Construction" was finally announced after receiving approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the 13th. This amendment plan reflects the results of a comprehensive review of consistency with urban rail policy and the feasibility of the project, and has been officially finalized with the approval of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

According to this announcement, the Wiryeseo Station Urban Railway Construction Project will be transferred from a private investment project to a public financial project. Recently, there have been difficulties in advancing the project due to external conditions such as rising material costs and interest rate fluctuations. However, with the legal basis for the transfer to a public financial project now established, the project will now have a stable foundation for implementation.

The existing 10 lines of the urban railway network plan will remain unchanged, with the Wirye Sinseong Line additionally incorporated. Accordingly, the total project scale will expand from 10 lines covering 71.05 km to 11 lines covering 85.89 km. The total project cost has also increased from 7 trillion 260 billion won to 9 trillion 191.3 billion won.

Seoul City has been advancing the plan to change the network and the Ministry of Economy and Finance's rapid preliminary feasibility study in parallel, in order to minimize project delays. It is explained that while it usually takes more than two years from plan development to feasibility studies, the simultaneous advancement is expected to reduce the period by more than one year.

The Wiyeo-Sinsa Line, first initiated in 2008, has encountered numerous obstacles over the years, but it is now expected to proceed on the right track following this recent plan revision announcement. The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to quickly complete the rapid feasibility study procedures, and prepare all pre-construction stages, including the establishment of the basic plan and design, without any problems.

Yeojangwon, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Transportation Division, said, "I will definitely complete the Wiryeseonsa Line light rail project, which has been the long-cherished wish of local residents for 18 years." He also stated, "We will concentrate all administrative efforts to ensure the project plays a central role in the transportation network of southeast Seoul by normally proceeding with the remaining pre-investment appraisal and basic plan procedures."

jsy@tf.co.kr