The Anyang City Council's Urban Transportation Committee took action on September 14 to expand the city's rail transportation network.
According to the council, the committee adopted a resolution on September 11 requesting the inclusion of the Wirae-Gwacheon Line and the Seoul Western Line extension projects in the national plan.
The resolution is set for final approval at the second plenary session on September 18.
This resolution was prepared after confirming the progress of the two rail projects with the Anyang city administration.
The Wirae-Gwacheon Line extension project aims to connect the Government Gwacheon Complex to Anyang's Gwanjang-dong, Bisandong, and Parkdal-dong, reaching Gwangmyeong Station. The total extension length is 14.7 kilometers, with an estimated project cost of approximately 1.9356 trillion won.
Anyang City aims to have this project included in the fifth national rail network construction plan.
The extension of the Seoul Western Line is also underway.
This project will connect Seoul National University Station to Pyeongchon New Town, covering a distance of 12.8 kilometers, with an estimated cost of about 1.0688 trillion won.
This initiative is being pursued with the goal of inclusion in the fifth metropolitan area transportation implementation plan.
Anyang City has been in discussions with relevant agencies to ensure inclusion in the national plan. After submitting a proposal for the 2024 national plan, city officials have explained the necessity of the projects to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Metropolitan Area Transportation Committee, and the Korea Transport Institute.
They have also held an explanatory meeting on the Anyang rail network construction plan and conducted meetings with the chairperson of the Metropolitan Area Transportation Committee.
This year, the city secured consent from neighboring municipalities and signed a memorandum of understanding with Seoul National University to establish an AI convergence innovation cluster.
Earlier this month, Anyang Mayor Kim Jae-ho and National Assembly member Kang Deuk-gu met with the director of the Railway Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to request the inclusion of both projects in the national plan.
However, there are significant challenges ahead before actual inclusion can be achieved.
Anyang officials noted that the government's focus on balanced growth prioritizes local rail projects, making it difficult to accommodate all requests from various municipalities, including those in the metropolitan area, given limited resources.
Gyeonggi Province is also advancing major projects such as the GTX-G and H lines and the southern Gyeonggi metropolitan railway, making it challenging to be optimistic about the inclusion of the Anyang extension projects in the national plan.
The relevant national plan is expected to undergo public hearings in the second half of 2026 before being approved and announced.
Meanwhile, Urban Transportation Committee Chairperson Kwak Dong-yoon stated, "This is a project that many citizens, including those in Parkdal-dong and Hoyun-dong, have been waiting for a long time." He added, "If these two lines are included in the national plan, it will improve the mobility of citizens and lay the foundation for Anyang to grow as a transportation hub in southern metropolitan area."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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