[단독]Seoul City demands the establishment of “80,000 more people per day” GTX Wangsimni Station

Following local governments such as Anyang, Uiwang, and Guri, the central government of Seoul is requesting the establishment of three additional transfer stations for the metropolitan metropolitan express train (GTX). Criticism has also been raised that the purpose of the express train’reach the metropolitan area-Seoul city center within 30 minutes’ is criticized for the reason that the addition of a transfer base in Seoul will increase the accessibility and convenience of Seoul citizens. do. There are also concerns that’the cost of construction of over 300 billion won per station can result in the concentration of the metropolitan area.’

Proposal to build an additional GTX station in Seoul. Graphic = Reporter Park Kyung-min [email protected]

According to the’Summary of Research Service for GTX-C Wangsimni Station Stopping Pre-Feasibility Study’ obtained by this magazine on the 25th, the number of GTX-C users increased by about 73,000 per day when Wangsimni Station is newly established. The GTX-C line connecting Suwon, Deokjeong Station in Yangju, Gyeonggi-do, was initially expected to be used by 689,000 passengers per day at 10 stations. It is expected to increase to 762,000 people.

However, the construction cost is not high. According to the analysis of the Ministry of Finance by the Seoul National University of Science and Technology Cooperation Foundation and Isan Co., Ltd., a civil engineering design company, the total cost of the establishment of Wangsimni Station is 309.6 billion won. Of these, the construction cost was 195.54 billion won, and the incidental and reserve costs were 40.18 billion won. This included an operating cost of 74 billion won, assuming the case of operation for 30 years.

GTX-C line going down (Deokjeong~Suwon) train driving simulation (TPS) analysis. [자료제공=성동구]

The train speed is also somewhat slower. When traveling directly from Cheongnyang-ri to Samseong Station (downward), the speed is 100.71 km/h, but when passing through Wangsimni Station, the speed is 64.78 km/h from Cheongnyangni to Wangsimni Station, and 91.34 km/h from Wangsimni Station to Samsung Station. Accordingly, it was found that the overall facial expression speed including the stopping time decreased by about 2.16㎞ from 91.07㎞ per hour to 88.91㎞ per hour. Accordingly, the total driving time is extended by 1 minute and 12 seconds.

However, for the next 30 years, the fare income is expected to be 5947 billion won, indicating that the investment feasibility is good. This is because the B/C ratio (B/C), which is generally considered to be economical if it exceeds 1.0, came out at 1.10. In the’Economical Analysis’ that comprehensively considered social impacts such as reduction in traffic accidents and environmental costs due to increased use of GTX-C, the benefit cost ratio was 1.05.

Gwanghwamun Plaza where restructuring is underway. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has proposed the construction of GTX-A Gwanghwamun Station to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. [연합뉵스]

The problem is that there are not one or two new stations required by each local government. On this day, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it has sent an official letter to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and suggested the establishment of GTX-A Gwanghwamun Station and GTX-B Dongdaemun (History and Culture Park) stations. Anyang City and Uiwang City requested that Indeokwon Station and Uiwang Station be installed on the GTX-C route, respectively. There is also a demand to extend the GTX-C route from Suwon to Pyeongtaek to the south and Yangju to Dongducheon and Yeoncheon to the north. Guri-si is insisting that the GTX-B line should be established at Galmae Station on the Gyeongchun Line.

Each local government is in the position that “more base stations are needed in order for more citizens to pass through downtown Seoul.” According to the Korea Development Institute (KDI)’Preliminary Feasibility Study Report by GTX Route’, 91% of passengers using the GTX-A route who alighted at Seoul Station transferred to other public transportation. This means that the final destination is not Seoul Station, so other means of transportation have to be used additionally, which means more travel time is required. In the case of GTX-B, 85% of passengers getting off at Changdong Station chose to transfer.

On the morning of December 31, 2018, the first train extending from Wangsimni Station on the Bundang Line of the Seoul Subway to Cheongnyangni Station is entering the station. [연합뉴스]

However, there are also criticisms that a large budget can be put in place to overshadow the original purpose of express railroads, such as slowing the speed, and that the’centralization of Seoul’ could intensify. At the moment, the construction cost of Gwanghwamun Station, estimated by Seoul City, is 3474 billion won. This means that about 12% of GTX-A’s total project cost (2.900 trillion won) is invested in one station. In the case of GTX-A, although it is a profitable private investment project (BTO) method in which a private business operator constructs facilities with equity capital and recovers costs through operation, it is expected that a large portion of the cost will have to be financed as it is a project not in the existing plan Is observed.

The Citizens’ Alliance for Economic Justice (Gyeongsil-ryeon) argues that “There are numerous public transportations connecting Seoul Station and Gwanghwamun Station, and it is impossible to inject a cost close to 350 billion won in one station.” Jeong-Hoon Yoo, a professor of transportation system engineering at Ajou University, said, “It is a Seoul-centered accident to make the downtown movement convenient by adding three stations in Seoul.” You must not forget the purpose of doing it.”

Chang-seok Jang, head of the metropolitan area railroad team of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, “Even if the speed of the train is running low, citizens can consider it if the benefits are sufficient.” We will have to comprehensively consider business performance and equity.” The results of the feasibility study service entrusted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to the Local Administration Research Institute will be released in March. The cost-benefit analysis for Dongdaemun Station has not yet come out.

Reporter Heo Jeong-won [email protected]