Diplomacy Journal shJung  | The Southern Naeruk Railway, which had been neglected since its groundbreaking ceremony in 1966 due to lack of profitability, has finally held its groundbreaking ceremony.

The Southern Inland Railway construction project is part of the "National Balanced Development Project (2019)" to revitalize the economy of the Yeongnam inland and southern coastal regions and improve transportation convenience for residents.

This large-scale national project, linking Gimcheon City, North Gyeongsang Province, and Geoje City, South Gyeongsang Province, is a 174.6km line, with a total project cost of KRW 7.0974 trillion.

The Southern Inland Railway, which will be a turning point in the “5- Megacity 3-Special Autonomous Region National Balanced Growth Strategy” that aims to achieve balanced regional development by reorganizing the country into 8 metropolitan areas and 3 special autonomous provinces with the goal of resolving the problem of concentration in the metropolitan area and reorganizing the country around regional development and specialized industries, is expected to be the starting point of national land re-conversion.

 In particular, once the Southern Inland Railway opens, the KTX-Cheongryong train is expected to operate 50 times daily, significantly reducing the travel time between Seoul and Geoje by bus from the current 4 hours 30 to 5 hours to 2 hours 50 minutes.

The Seoul-Jinju section, with its direct connection to Gimcheon, will be shortened by approximately 70 minutes (from 3 hours 30 minutes to 2 hours 20 minutes), significantly improving accessibility for nearby hinterlands such as Sacheon and Changwon.

Once the railway is completed, travel from the Seoul metropolitan area to Geoje will be reduced to just 2 hours, connecting various parts of North and South Gyeongsang Province within a half-day nationwide network.

Furthermore, the approximately 2km Gyeonnaeryang section connecting Tongyeong and Geoje will be the first undersea railway in Korea.
 

This section will utilize the "Shield TBM" construction method, which minimizes noise and vibration, to reduce the impact on the marine ecosystem and fishing activities.

For sections crossing rivers, a long-span bridge construction method with wider pier spacing will be applied, focusing on protecting river flow and aquatic ecosystems.

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yoon-deok stated, "The groundbreaking of the Southern Inland Railway marks the fulfillment of a long-awaited promise to the people, and marks a historic starting point for redrawing the economic map of the Republic of Korea."
 

“The government will take full responsibility and complete a safe railway to ensure that this railway becomes a key axis leading the transition from a 1-megacity metropolitan area system to a 5-Region 3-Special Autonomous Region multipolar system,” he said. We will ensure its safe completion."