North Gyeongsang Province pushes for 20 rail lines worth W41tr in national railway plan

North Gyeongsang Province has asked the central government to include 20 railway lines spanning 2,125 kilometers at a total cost of 41 trillion won ($30.8 billion) in the fifth National Railway Network Construction Plan covering 2026 to 2035.

The province presented its proposals Friday at a public consultation event held at the Specialized Construction Hall in Seoul under the theme "A Railway Transformation Connecting the Future of a New Republic of Korea," organized ahead of the plan's finalization and official announcement.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport hosted the event, with the Korea Transport Institute serving as organizer, to gather input from citizens, local governments and experts before the plan is drawn up and published.

The province's proposed projects comprise two high-speed rail lines, 13 conventional rail lines and five metropolitan rail lines.

Key projects include a high-speed rail line between Osong and Andong, a central-region east-west cross rail line between Seosan and Uljin, a rail link connecting Gimcheon, Gumi and the new airport, a Jeonju-Gimcheon line, and a Daegu-North Gyeongsang circular railway.

The Osong-Andong high-speed rail line is among the most significant proposals, with 6.29 trillion won earmarked for a 123-kilometer route linking Osong, Jeomchon, the North Gyeongsang Provincial Government complex and Andong.

The line is expected to provide an alternative transport corridor to the existing Jungbu Inland Line, Donghae Line and Jungang Line, while helping build an industrial belt connecting North Chungcheong Province and North Gyeongsang Province.

The central-region east-west cross rail line between Seosan and Uljin would stretch 322 kilometers at a cost of 6.91 trillion won, connecting major hubs across the central region to promote inter-regional exchange and boost tourism.

The Daegu-North Gyeongsang circular railway, proposed as a core transport backbone for building the Daegu-North Gyeongsang megacity, would run 486 kilometers linking Dong-Daegu, Yeongcheon, Pohang, Uljin, Yeongju, Jeomchon, Sangju, Gimcheon and Gumi.

In the metropolitan rail category, the province proposed five projects, including a circular railway serving the Daegu-North Gyeongsang new airport and extensions to the Daegu metropolitan rail network.

"North Gyeongsang Province has vast land and abundant resources, but lacks the transport networks to connect its regions," North Gyeongsang Province Governor Lee Cheol-woo said. "We will make every effort until the very end to ensure that North Gyeongsang's railway projects are reflected in the fifth National Railway Network Construction Plan."