Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, city officials and representatives from the National Railroad Authority reviewed progress by major work stages, safety management and facilities being added as part of the Songdo Station expansion.
The project will lay new track along a 3.19-kilometer (1.98-mile) section linking the Suin Line and the Gyeongbu high-speed line, while upgrading three stations: Songdo, Choji and Eocheon. Overall progress stands at about 71%.
The National Railroad Authority plans to complete key work, including roadbed construction, by the first half of the year, begin integrated test runs in August and open the line in December 2026. The inspection was part of the city’s push to prepare for the year-end opening of the Incheon-origin KTX, one of the eighth elected administration’s core transportation pledges.
During a site visit to Songdo Station in July last year, Yoo said KTX service originating in Incheon was a long-held wish of residents and a turning point for transportation in the western Seoul metropolitan area, calling for tight schedule control and careful preparation so people can travel nationwide faster and more conveniently.
Incheon views the project not as a single rail line but as a central pillar of broader metropolitan transportation expansion. In its major policy announcements this year for transportation, maritime and aviation, the city again listed the Incheon-origin KTX as a project targeting a 2026 opening. It also said it is seeking to have an extension to Incheon International Airport reflected in the fifth national rail network plan.
The city is also moving ahead with plans tied to development around Songdo Station. It said in December 2024 that differences between the Songdo station-area urban development project and the KTX direct-connection project had been adjusted, and it expected mixed-use development at the station to accelerate.
Plans include a multi-level complex combining a transfer support facility in front of Songdo Station with parking, a park and cultural facilities. In addition to 175 existing on-street parking spaces, the city plans to add a transfer parking lot with about 150 spaces. It also outlined a plan to use an average 39-story residential-commercial complex as part of the transfer support facilities.
After completing the Songdo Station expansion and opening the Incheon-origin KTX, the city said it plans to continue pushing a rail network expansion strategy that would extend service to Incheon International Airport.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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