Gimpo links bus route to GTX-A to ease Gold Line congestion

Gimpo City will launch a new alternative transit network linking buses with the GTX-A rail line. The move aims to ease the chronic commuting congestion faced by residents of the Gimpo Han River new town.

Gimpo City said Wednesday that starting Monday, it will adjust the route of city bus No. 2000 to connect with GTX-A Kintex Station.

The move aims to divert some of the passengers heading to Seoul Station from the Gimpo Gold Line to GTX-A.

Until now, residents of the Han River new town wanting to reach Seoul Station had to take the Gimpo Gold Line and transfer to the Airport Railroad. Others relied on buses such as No. M6117 and No. 33.

The addition of the No. 2000 bus-GTX-A route now gives commuters another option for their daily commute.

The route overhaul is particularly notable because it could redistribute commuting demand concentrated on the Gimpo Gold Line to other modes of transportation.

Gimpo City expects that traveling from Gurae-dong to Seoul Station via the No. 2000 bus and GTX-A Kintex Station will take about one hour, and about 52 minutes from Jangi-dong.

Gimpo City changed the route in the Goyang City section, moving it from stops near the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology and Kintex to six new stops. These are Kintex, Hillstate Ilsan, Forena Kintex Officetel (GTX-A Kintex Station), Hyundai Department Store, Kintex Rear Gate and Kintex Exhibition Hall 1.

Some stops within the Gimpo Han River new town will also be adjusted. Service to LH Hangaram Village Complex 2 and the rear gate of Umyrin Apartment will be shortened, while Gurae-dong Community Service Center and Hangang Bando Yubora 5 will be added as new stops.

However, since the route changes may inconvenience riders who use the affected stops, Gimpo City plans to direct those passengers to the revised stops or to the No. 33 bus as an alternative.

The move is part of Gimpo City's broader policy of expanding GTX-A connector buses and easing congestion on the Gold Line.

The city aims to link available buses with wide-area rail lines to disperse the commuting demand concentrated on the Gold Line. It also plans to prepare for the transportation demand expected as new residents move into the Han River new town.

Gimpo Mayor Lee Ki-hyung said, "We will continue to find and implement measures to relieve the transportation inconvenience experienced by our citizens." He added, "We hope that linking the No. 2000 bus with GTX-A will help ease congestion on the Gold Line and improve commuting conditions toward Seoul Station."