Gyeonggi Province pushes for inclusion of major rail projects in national plan

Gyeonggi Province and several local municipalities are intensifying efforts to ensure major railway projects are included in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan, which will guide infrastructure development from 2026 to 2035.

During a meeting with the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Gyeonggi Governor Chu Mi-ae requested the inclusion of 40 railway projects, including various GTX lines (D through H), the KTX Paju extension, and the SRT Uijeongbu extension. Chu also advocated for exempting new towns from preliminary feasibility studies to prevent transportation delays for residents. She urged the central government to expand the scale of new projects in the national plan to over 100 trillion won.

In a separate regional movement, mayors from Seongnam and Yongin participated in a joint resolution rally to urge the inclusion of the Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railway. The proposed 50.7km line, connecting Seoul Sports Complex to Bongdam, is estimated to cost 5.275 trillion won and serves a critical industrial corridor for semiconductors, AI, and automotive industries. While Seongnam and Yongin leaders emphasized the project's strategic value and economic feasibility, the mayors of Suwon and Hwaseong were absent from the rally, though regional cooperation remains a stated goal for the 4.2 million residents in the affected area.