Busan-Masan double-track rail line to partially open in April next year

Busan city has confirmed the opening schedule for the long-delayed Bujeon–Masan double-track railway line, announcing Tuesday that some sections will begin partial service from April 1 next year under a plan released by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

The Bujeon–Masan double-track line connects Busan's Bujeon Station to Jinrye Station in Gimhae over 32.7 kilometers and is a build-transfer-lease private investment project with a total cost of 1.27 trillion won ($920 million). Once linked to the existing Gyeongjeon Line, trains will run the full 51.1 kilometers between Bujeon Station in Busan and Changwon Masan Station. The new route will allow direct service between Bujeon and Masan, cutting travel time from about 90 minutes to around 30 minutes compared with the current path via Samnangjin.

The Ministry of Planning and Budget convened a private investment project review committee Tuesday and approved an amendment to the agreement between the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the project operator to enable the partial opening. With that decision, all sections except the 3.35-kilometer Sasang–Gangseo Geumho stretch will proceed through additional construction and comprehensive test operations before service begins on April 1, 2027.

The Bujeon–Sasang section will connect to Cheongnyangni and Daegu via the Jungang and Donghae lines, while the Gangseo Geumho–Jinrye signal post section will link to Masan via the existing Gyeongjeon Line. Shuttle buses will be deployed between Sasang and Gangseo Geumho stations to minimize inconvenience for passengers on the unopened stretch.

For the Sasang–Gangseo Geumho section, authorities plan to carry out follow-up safety measures — including securing safe evacuation passages — based on findings from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's construction accident investigation committee, with a target of opening the full 51.1-kilometer Bujeon–Masan line in the second half of 2028.

The full-line opening will prioritize safety on the Nakdong Tunnel No. 1 section and will proceed through rigorous safety verification based on the ongoing investigation committee's findings, with a target completion date of late 2028.

The project suffered a major setback in March 2020, just before its scheduled opening, when a ground collapse occurred during construction of an emergency escape passage in Nakdong Tunnel No. 1. Recovery work alone took more than six years, and repeated disagreements among government agencies and contractors over how to build the remaining escape passages and how to share costs pushed the opening date back repeatedly.

Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo called the line "a core metropolitan transport network that connects Busan and western South Gyeongsang Province and forms the foundation of a broad southeastern lifestyle and economic zone." He added that the city would work with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and other relevant agencies to ensure the partial opening next year delivers tangible benefits to residents of Busan and South Gyeongsang Province as early as possible, while keeping the full opening on track for late 2028.