KTX ready for big expansion in 2010

The Land Ministry said yesterday it has set a goal to complete a bullet train route that links Suseo in southeastern Seoul and Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province by 2014. Design of the route will begin next year.

In an annual policy report to President Lee Myung-bak, the ministry also said it would launch KTX bullet train routes to new destinations such as Ulsan, Gyeongju and Masan in the Gyeongsang provinces in November of next year. By 2011, stops in the Jeolla region - Jeonju, Namwon, Suncheon and Yeosu - will be available. Jinju in South Gyeongsang will be a KTX destination from 2012.

After those routes are completed, the ministry will link the KTX with the Incheon airport railroad for the convenience of passengers who live outside Seoul. Despite international airports in Busan and Jeju, Incheon remains Korea’s primary air hub.

With the goal of propelling “green growth” in the transportation sector, the ministry has unveiled plans to change its focus in land transportation from roads to railroads. To this end, the ministry will increase the portion of social overhead capital allocated to railroads from the current 29 percent to as much as 50 percent by 2020.

By Seo Ji-eun [spring@joongang.co.kr]