Anyang City has urged the government to promptly announce the comprehensive plan for the Gyeongbu Line railway underground integrated development project.
Anyang Mayor Choi Dae-ho attended a meeting of the Gyeongbu Line Underground Promotion Council held on the morning of the 4th at a conference room and outdoor space in the Yongsan Station private development building in Seoul, where he signed a joint statement calling for the release of the railway underground integrated development comprehensive plan.
Seven metropolitan area local governments participated in the meeting, including Seoul's Yongsan, Dongjak, Yeongdeungpo, Guro, and Geumcheon districts, along with Gunpo in Gyeonggi Province.
The local government heads, including Mayor Choi, reaffirmed the necessity of putting the Gyeongbu Line section that runs through the Seoul metropolitan area underground and expressed concern over delays in the government's announcement of the comprehensive plan.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport had stated it would announce the railway underground comprehensive plan by the end of last year. However, specific schedules and details have not been disclosed to date. Anyang City pointed out that delays in finalizing the comprehensive plan could inevitably disrupt the reselection of pilot projects and subsequent administrative procedures, increasing uncertainty across the entire project.
The Gyeongbu Line section in Anyang spans a total of 7.5 kilometers and includes four stations: Seoksu, Gwanak, Anyang, and Myeonghak. The section has long suffered from noise, vibration, and community severance issues as the railway passes through the city center at ground level. The city explained that the east-west divided urban structure has also constrained spatial utilization and balanced development.
In particular, the ground-level tracks physically separate residential areas from commercial and business districts, limiting pedestrian routes and connectivity between neighborhoods and causing continued inconvenience for residents. The city emphasized that putting the railway underground could go beyond simple transportation improvements to reconnect severed urban spaces and create opportunities for establishing green corridors and expanding community infrastructure using the above-ground space.
Mayor Choi said, "The Gyeongbu Line underground project is an essential undertaking for Anyang's future generations," adding, "As this has been a project in preparation since 2010, it cannot be delayed any further." He continued, "Putting the railway underground is a future investment that will resolve urban severance and improve citizens' quality of life."
Anyang City has been preparing the project in accordance with government guidelines. Reflecting the Railway Underground Project Guidelines distributed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in May 2024, the city submitted a pilot project proposal in October of the same year containing the basic concept, construction schedule, and development scope.
Nevertheless, it was excluded from the Ministry's first round of pilot project sites announced in February last year. In response, the city resubmitted a comprehensive plan proposal in May of the same year with enhanced project feasibility and economic viability in preparation for the announcement of additional sites in the metropolitan area.
Anyang City plans to continue consultations with relevant agencies and concentrate its administrative capabilities to ensure the Anyang section is included in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's comprehensive plan.