Seoul city announces plan to build light rails in northern area

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Tuesday that it would soon disclose a plan to establish the third urban railway network based on the construction of a loop line that traverses the area north of the Han River.

The city government aims to complete the construction of the loop line by 2021, through which subways travel from Mokdong in Yangcheon District to Cheongyangni in Dongdaemun District. The light rails will have around two to three cars, less than those of standard subways in Seoul. The line’s full length is expected to be 24.8 kilometers, with around 15 stations.

The plan to build the loop line currently awaits the Seoul city government’s internal approval. For the project to be proceeded, the Seoul Metropolitan Council and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport should also approve the plan. An estimated project cost is approximately two trillion won. “A route that traverses the northern side of the city has a relatively low economic efficiency, so it’s not easy to attract private investment,” a Seoul city official said. "The Seoul Metropolitan Government is likely to foot the bill."

After his one-month stay last August at a humble rooftop shack in northern Seoul, Mayor Park Won-soon announced a set of investment measures focused on the northern area of the city, including a plan to construct metro lines such as Myeonmok Line (from Cheongyangni to Sinnae-dong), Mokdong Line (from Sinwol-dong to Dangsan Station), and Nangok Line (from Boramae Park to Nanhyang-dong) by 2022. The loop line was not included in the plan announced back then.


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