Gyeongchun Line Gets a Face-lift, on a Double Track, Electrified

Reduces travel time from two hours to 89 minutes

The Gyeongchun Line, linking Seoul and the scenic city of Chuncheon in Gangwon Province, was govem a face-lift to provide railway users and tourists with more convenience and shorter travel times.
With the opening of the new line on Dec. 21, passenger service will be integrated into the Seoul Metropolitan Subway system, furnishing the clients with pleasures on their way from Seoul to Gangwon Province.
The introduction of the new service will reduce travel time from two hours to 89 minutes, with different trains operating according to different stopping patterns, and increase capacity five-fold. Ticket prices will also fall.
The opening of the new railroad system came after the Korean government announced on Sept. 1, 2010 a strategic plan to reduce travel times from Seoul to 95 percent of the country to under two hours by 2020. As part of the plan, the Gyeongchun Line is to be further upgraded for a maximum speed of 230 km/h and may see KTX service.
For the longer term, the government is also considering building a parallel high-speed line that would continue beyond Chuncheon to Sokcho on South Korea’s east coast.
The line was upgraded into an electrified, double-tracked line for 180 km/h speeds. Between Geumgok and Chuncheon, from 1997 until 2010, the 64.2 km line was re-laid in a straighter alignment with a budget of 2.151,931 billion won. The remaining 17.9 km of the upgraded line was built with a separate budget of 574.12 billion won. Towards Seoul, after Toegyewon Station, the new line diverges from the old alignment that ended in Seongbuk Station, and will be reconnected to the Jungang Line at Mangu Station. The complete new alignment was opened and the old one was closed on Dec. 21.
The ministry expects the opening of the new Gyeongchun Line will help activate the tourism industry in related areas like Chuncheon, Gapyeong and Namyangju replete with tourist destinations and cultural heritages. The ministry officials also expect the opening of the new line will lead to the promotion of the regional economy, which has lagged behind that of the Seoul metropolitan region.
With relatively cheaper fees of 2,500 won between Sangbong station in Seoul and Chuncheon, people will be able to commute in about one hour. Additionally, the line is connected to various subway lines of Seoul and its vicinity. nw

President Lee Myung-bak looks around the Chuncheon Station following a ceremony to open the upgraded Gyeongchun Line. (Courtesy on Cheong Wa Dae website)

A train plying between Chuncheon and Seoul is bedecked with flowers and national flags to celebrate the opening of the Gyeongchun Line that was upgraded.