Mayor Choi: 'Not the end, but the real beginning'
Wabu–Hwado 2 local road project also clears batch feasibility review
Namyangju said Wednesday that its Byeollae Line (Line 8) extension metropolitan railway project has been selected for the second round of preliminary feasibility studies in 2026.
The project would build a 3.4-kilometer metropolitan rail link connecting Byeollae Station on Line 8 with Byeollae Byeolgaram Station on the Jinjeop Line, part of Line 4. The city is pursuing the extension to meet growing transportation demand driven by large-scale development in the northeastern Greater Seoul area and to expand the regional rail network.
Once completed, the link is expected to significantly improve rail access and inter-line connectivity for residents in northeastern Namyangju by joining the two stations by rail for the first time.
The Byeollae Line extension was the only rail project selected across all infrastructure categories in this round of preliminary feasibility study designations, adding to its significance.
The city failed a preliminary feasibility review in 2024 and subsequently commissioned its own replanning study to strengthen the project's economic and policy rationale. The latest selection marks the first major hurdle cleared toward full project implementation.
The extension is a key transport initiative under the wide-area traffic improvement plan for the Wangsuk new town development. The need for the project has consistently been raised as large-scale developments including Wangsuk new town accelerate, driving up commuter demand and highlighting gaps in regional rail access.
Namyangju Mayor Choi Hyeon-deok had made easing residents' transportation difficulties a priority even before taking office, repeatedly urging the Ministry of Planning and Budget minister, the Metropolitan Area Transportation Commission chairman, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport vice minister, and the Gyeonggi Province governor to advance the project without delay.
"The Byeollae Line extension is not simply about connecting a severed rail segment — it is a transportation welfare project that will improve commuting conditions for residents in northeastern Namyangju and link communities across the region," Choi said. "It is deeply meaningful that a project we have consistently advocated for has been selected for a preliminary feasibility study."
"Selection as a preliminary feasibility study target is not the end — it is the real beginning," he added. "We will actively engage in the feasibility review process, work closely with relevant agencies, and focus every administrative resource on securing final approval."
Separately, another major transport project for the city — the Wabu–Hwado 2 Local Road No. 86 project — also cleared the sixth round of batch preliminary feasibility reviews.
That project involves upgrading a 5.2-kilometer stretch from Jungwang Village intersection in Wolmun-ri, Wabu-eup to Chasan-ri, Hwado-eup to a two-lane road and constructing a 910-meter tunnel. The total project cost is 174.8 billion won ($126 million), to be funded through a combination of national and local government budgets.
The city said it plans to actively engage in the preliminary feasibility review for the Byeollae Line extension while working closely with relevant agencies to ensure its major transport projects proceed without disruption.
pjh@heraldcorp.com
