Gangwon State Makes All-Out Push in Public Consultation on 5th Rail Network Plan, Seeks 13 Trillion Won for 10 Lines

【Financial News, Chuncheon = Kim Gi-seop, Staff Writer】Gangwon State made an all-out last-minute push to persuade the government to include 10 railway lines in the province, worth 13 trillion won, in the 5th National Railway Network Plan.
According to Gangwon State on the 13th, Economic Affairs Deputy Governor Won-chul Shin attended a public consultation event on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's 5th National Railway Network Plan (2026–2035), held that day at the Professional Construction Hall in Seoul, and called for railway projects in the Gangwon region to be included. The event, hosted by MOLIT and organized by the Korea Transport Institute (KOTI), was an opportunity to hear views from the public, local governments and experts before the plan is finalized and announced.
The province proposed a total of 10 lines spanning 583.2 km, with project costs totaling 13 trillion 2.8 billion won. Seven conventional rail lines—including the Chuncheon-Wonju Line, Pyeongchang-Jeongseon Line, Taebaek-Yeongdong Line and Gyeongwon Line—account for most of the total, spanning 491.2 km and costing 12.5312 trillion won.
The three metropolitan rail lines—the extension of the Great Train eXpress (GTX) B Line to Chuncheon, construction of the D Line in Wonju, and the Gyeongui–Jungang Line—span 92 km and are valued at 471.6 billion won. The cost of extending GTX-D, which MOLIT has not disclosed, is excluded from this figure.
The National Railway Network Plan is the highest-level statutory plan for the rail sector, and projects must be included in it to proceed to subsequent steps such as a preliminary feasibility study. The province highlighted the need for each line in terms of balanced regional development, links to national industries, and improvements to aging infrastructure and safety, which MOLIT has designated as key priorities. As this was the final consultation before the plan is finalized, Deputy Governor Shin personally gave the presentation at the event.
The province also urged residents to take part in the public pre-survey, which closes that day. The survey can be completed through the MOLIT website, the Korail integrated app KORAIL+, or QR codes posted at major railway stations.
“Lines that residents have been waiting for a long time, such as the Chuncheon-Wonju Line and the Pyeongchang-Jeongseon Line, will shape Gangwon State’s transportation landscape over the next 10 years,” said Won-chul Shin, Gangwon State’s deputy governor for economic affairs. “We will continue to persuade the government, citing their contribution to balanced regional development and links to industry, until they are included in the final plan.”

[email protected] Kim Gi-seop Reporter