Gyeonggi Gov. Choo Mi-ae Seeks PFS Approval for Incheon Line 2 Extension to Goyang

【Financial News Gyeonggi = Kim Kyung-soo, Reporter】 Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae asked the government to cooperate in securing approval in the preliminary feasibility study (PFS) for the Incheon Line 2 extension to Goyang. She called for support ahead of a key step in advancing the project.
Gyeonggi Province said on the 11th that Governor Choo delivered a letter to Minister of Planning and Budget Park Hong-keun on the 10th.
The letter called for active interest and support to secure PFS approval. The Incheon Line 2 extension to Goyang was selected for a PFS in July 2023. Its first meeting was held in January last year, and it is now approaching its second meeting. A comprehensive evaluation and final review remain.
Governor Choo emphasized that the route would connect Incheon’s Seo-gu to Goyang City via Gimpo without passing through Seoul, as a metropolitan railway. She described it as a key project to address the long-standing transportation difficulties of residents in northwestern Gyeonggi.
She also drew particular attention to the hardships and development restrictions that residents of border areas have endured for many years in the interest of national security. Governor Choo said expanding the rail network would go beyond simply improving transportation convenience: it would guarantee residents’ right to mobility and reduce regional disparities.
The project is also expected to boost tourism. Once the route is connected, travel time from Incheon Airport to KINTEX in Goyang and Imjingak in Paju will be cut by about 20 minutes. Access for foreign tourists is also expected to improve.
The 19.63-km project route will run from Dokjeong Station in Incheon’s Seo-gu through Geolpo Bukbyeon in Gimpo to KINTEX, Juyeop and the Jungsan District in Goyang. The total project cost has been set at 2.083 trillion won.
Once the line opens, passengers will be able to transfer to six lines in total, including the GTX-A. It is also expected to redistribute demand from existing rail services, which carry about 87,000 passengers a day. The line is expected to reduce train congestion and ease traffic problems in northwestern Gyeonggi, including Goyang and Gimpo.
Governor Choo also noted that the Ministry of Planning and Budget improved the PFS system in January this year. At the time, the government changed the system so that regional characteristics and the effects of balanced development would be more fully reflected in evaluations. She stressed that the intent of the changes should also be fully reflected in the review of this project.
She also proposed expanding rail investment at the national level. She urged the government to include the 40 high-speed, conventional and metropolitan railway projects proposed by the province. To that end, she called for the scale of new projects in the Fifth National Railway Network Construction Plan to be increased to at least 100 trillion won, along with increased national funding.
The proposal is also aligned with the “Gyeonggi Province 30-Minute Commute Transformation” policy, which aims to reduce residents’ commute times.
The province plans to continue working with relevant bodies, including Incheon City, Goyang City and Gimpo City. It aims to secure PFS approval for the Incheon Line 2 extension to Goyang and move ahead with subsequent procedures without delay.
[email protected] Kim Kyung-soo Reporter