SOUTH KOREA: Construction has started on the 35·4 km first phase of the Chungcheong Province suburban railway serving Daejeon.
State-owned railway construction organisation Korea National Railway says that the project aims to utilise available capacity on the existing Honam and Gyeongbu main lines for the introduction of a suburban rail service linking Gyeryong in the southwest and Sintanjin north of Daejeon.
The 259·8bn won project consists of the construction of six new stations at Deokam, Ojeong, Jungchon, Yongdu, Munhwa, Doma. Six existing stations at Sintanjin, Hoedeok, Seodaejeon, Gasuwon, Heukseok-ri, Gyeryong are to be renovated.
A total of 65 services per day per direction are planned, using two-car electric multiple-units, with anticipated daily ridership estimated at 27 259. The launch is planned for 2026.
Preliminary feasibility studies are underway on the next two phases of the suburban rail programme. These would extend the line north from Sintanjin to Jochiwon and southwest from Gyeryong to Ganggyeong.
