Table of Contents
- Busan City Establishes Second Busan Metropolitan City Urban Railway Network Construction Plan
- Four Major Goals and Eight Implementation Directions of Urban Railway Network Construction
- 10 Target Lines and 4 Candidate Lines
- Future Schedule of Urban Railway Network Construction Plan
- Expected Effects and Future Prospects
Busan City Establishes Second Busan Metropolitan City Urban Railway Network Construction Plan
Busan City recently announced the second urban railway network construction plan. This plan is a statutory plan established every ten years according to Article 5 of the Urban Railway Act. It aims to provide a convenient urban railway accessible to all Busan citizens.
As mentioned earlier, this plan has established four core objectives and eight implementation directions, providing a detailed vision for Busan's long-term urban railway development.
Several lines have been selected to expand Busan's transportation network. In particular, a total of 10 lines, including ▲Busan-style Express Railway (BuTX), ▲Busan Port Line, ▲Jeonggwan Line, ▲Songdo Line, ▲Gangseo Line, ▲Gijang Line, ▲Yeonsan 2nd Centum Line, ▲Osiria Line, ▲Express Line for Busan Line 2, and ▲Express Line for Busan Line 1, have been designated as major targets.
Additionally, four lines, including the Oryukdo Line, the connection between Juje~Busan Station, the East Busan Line, and the Deokcheon~Chojeong~Seomyeon Line, have been proposed as candidates. This planning is expected to enhance transportation convenience in Busan and contribute to regional development.
Four Major Goals and Eight Implementation Directions of Urban Railway Network Construction
Busan City has established four main goals for future development. First, it plans to build an urban railway system to strengthen its position as a global hub city. Second, efforts will be made to create a competitive green city. Third, it aims to increase the urban railway's share of transportation by 10%, and finally, it plans to promote urban railways that lead to regional balanced development.
To achieve this, eight major implementation directions have also been set. This includes strengthening high-speed connections between major hubs and innovating transportation policies in the old downtown. Additionally, plans will minimize regions excluded from urban railways and strengthen the connections of the rail network. Sustainable urban infrastructure will be created, operational efficiency of urban railways will be enhanced, and seamless transfers between public transport modes will be facilitated. Finally, efforts will focus on creating a safe and convenient user environment.
10 Target Lines and 4 Candidate Lines
Ten lines have been selected that meet the criteria of an economic feasibility (B/C) of 0.7 or higher or a comprehensive evaluation (AHP) of 0.5 or higher. This will contribute to enhancing the success potential of future projects.
The Busan-style express railway, BuTX, is the country's first hydrogen train connecting Gadukdo New Airport and major areas of Busan, which is expected to enhance convenience of travel between eastern and western Busan.
The Busan Port Line is a hydrogen tram that starts at Taejongdae in Yeongdo-gu and passes through Central Station and the North Port redevelopment area, continuing to Kyungsung University and Pukyong National University Station. The Jeonggwan Line is a tram that connects the Jeonggwan New Town and the Jinhae Line at the Jochang Station, which will increase transportation convenience for local residents.
Moreover, the Songdo Line connects Jagalchi Station and Jangrim Station, while the Gangseo Line is a tram that connects Myeongji Ocean City with Daejeo Station, aiding the development of each respective area. The Gijang Line operates a K-AGT (Rubber-Wheeled Automated Light Rail) connecting Anpyeong Station and Ilgwang District, and the Yeonsan 2nd Centum Line is set as a K-AGT connecting Yeonsan Station and Centum 2 District.
The Osiria Line is a medium-sized electric tram connecting Jangsan Station and the Osiria Tourist Complex, promoting tourism activation. Busan Line 2 aims to construct 11 express stops between Yangsan and Jangsan for efficient travel, while Busan Line 1 will establish 9 express stops in the section from Nopo to Dadaepo, further improving the transportation system. These various transportation modes are expected to strengthen Busan's transportation infrastructure and positively impact regional economic development.
BuTX (Busan-style Express Railway)
The city of Busan has prioritized BuTX as the top project in the second urban railway network construction plan.
In 2023, a private investment proposal was received in the BTO method, and a preliminary review is currently underway at the Busan Research Institute. The 'private sector eligibility survey' is actively being conducted, and the results will be announced in June 2025. If the results of this survey are positive, the city hall plans to apply to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport for a preliminary feasibility study (yeota). This application is scheduled for the second half of 2025.
Following that, in 2026, the implementation agreement and designation of the operator will be completed, and construction is expected to start in 2027. The plan is for BuTX to open sometime between 2029 and 2032, coinciding with the opening of Gadukdo New Airport.
For more detailed information on BuTX, please refer to the posting below.
This project, with a total length of 54.04 km and a budget of 4.7692 trillion won, will operate the country's first hydrogen train. It is planned to connect Gadukdo New Airport and Osiria in about 30 minutes and is expected to greatly contribute to regional development.
The BuTX line is positioned as a crucial axis for enhancing accessibility to Gadukdo New Airport and facilitating the balanced development of eastern and western Busan. Given its priority designation, rapid progress is expected, positively impacting the local economy.
Busan Port Line
The Busan Port Line is a 24.21 km coastal circular hydrogen tram connecting Yeongdo Taejongdae, North Port redevelopment area, and Gamman, Woam, Kyungsung University, and Pukyong National University Station.
The city of Busan has selected this line for 'priority promotion' and plans to proceed with re-design to reflect the difficulties encountered due to insufficient B/C in the feasibility study for the Oryukdo Line section.
For more details, please refer to the posting below.
Since the urban railway network construction plan was approved, Busan City is preparing a master plan to apply for a preliminary feasibility study. In particular, they are considering the integration of lines to secure economic feasibility in some sections such as Yeongdo Line, C-Bay Park Line, Woam Line, and Oryukdo Line.
Low-floor trams harmonize well with the coastal scenery of the city, positively influencing tourism and redevelopment. In particular, the section passing through the North Port redevelopment area, from Jungang-dong to Munhyeon-dong, is expected to open first. This phased promotion will contribute to regional development.
Yeonsan 2nd Centum Line
The Yeonsan 2nd Centum Line is an 8.03 km K-AGT (Rubber-Wheeled Automated Light Rail) line starting from Yeonsan Station connecting Tokgok Intersection, Wondong Station, Centum 2 District, and Seokdae Station. A preliminary feasibility study is scheduled to be conducted in 2025, after which further procedures will be carried out.
The total budget for this project is 714.8 billion won, and since the same system as Line 4 is applied and there is no need to build a new vehicle base, its economic feasibility is expected to be excellent. Moreover, as it will proceed along with the development of Centum 2 District, there is a very high possibility of increased transportation demand.
The Yeonsan 2nd Centum Line is expected to effectively serve as a branch line for Line 4. Due to the reduced construction costs for the vehicle base, the B/C value is likely to improve further. Once this line opens, public transport accessibility for areas such as Tokgok District in Yeonsan-dong and Banyeo and Jaesong-dong in Haeundae-gu will be significantly enhanced.
For more detailed analysis regarding apartments and redevelopment, as well as real estate investments in Yeonsan-dong, please check the posting below.
Future Schedule of Urban Railway Network Construction Plan
Busan City has completed preliminary consultations regarding this project with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport and has also collected opinions from the Busan City Council. On May 8, at 2 PM, a public hearing will be held at the Busan City Hall conference room to gather citizens' opinions. Opinions raised at this hearing will be reflected as much as possible, with a request for approval to be submitted to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport by the end of May.
The public hearing will include university professors, researchers, and civic organizations. Experts will engage in discussions and freely exchange opinions. Submissions of opinions will be possible on the day of the public hearing or through information and communication networks, with the deadline set for May 14th at 6 PM.
Expected Effects and Future Prospects
The Second Urban Railway Network Construction Plan of Busan is expected to dramatically solve urban transportation issues. This plan will contribute to the creation of an environment where citizens of Busan can move more conveniently.
In particular, the Busan-style express railway (BuTX) and Yeonsan 2nd Centum Line are anticipated to promote balanced development between the eastern and western regions and improve the city's competitiveness by connecting major industrial complexes.
In the future, Busan City will continue to implement various policies aimed at improving transportation-deficient areas and strengthening the public transportation network. These efforts are expected to play a significant role in enhancing the overall transportation environment in Busan.
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