Gangbuk LRT - Naebu v. Seobu, or PARK v. OH?

Out of the blue, Seoul Metropolitan Government unveiled a brand new, 24.8 km, 15-station subway line joining Mok-dong (Yangcheon-gu) to Cheongnyangni (Dongdaemun-gu) along the Naebu Expressway, that disgraceful overpass scarring countless Seoul neighborhoods*.

Construction would start as early as 2021, for a project that was not even part of the 10 LRT projects announced for 2025 in 2015 ("Seoul subway to gain 89 km by 2025"). Yet, it would connect the dots between two of them: the Mok-dong Line to the West (Sinwol-dong - Mok-dong), and the Myeonmok Line to the East (Cheongnyangni - Sinnae).

"서울 내부순환로 땅 밑으로 '강북횡단 경전철' 건설 추진 출처" (Chosun Ilbo 20190212)

*

As you well know, I'm all for new railway lines, but all this seems a bit hasty, if not suspicious:

• such projects usually take years and years to study, and 2021 seems a very aggressive target for starting the construction
• the route doesn't seem optimized for transportation needs, but happens to be on land mostly owned by the city, which may speed up the process
• as we've seen before, subway projects are highly political in Seoul, and countless railway projects announced before key elections have been dumped afterwards. Yet as soon as a project actually starts, land value immediately jumps
• the only date given is the start of the project, and 2021 happens to be the year preceding the next presidential elections
• this Gangbuk LRT / Naebu Line / Naebuseon could cannibalize, and maybe even kill a major project the city and many partners have been working on for a long while: the Seobu Line / Seobuseon, confirmed as a priority by the city not so long ago ("Seobu Line confirmed as Seoul's LRT top priority")
• Seobuseon was initiated under former mayor OH Se-hoon who, like his successor PARK Won-soon, hasn't given up his presidential ambitions, even if, for the moment, both are lagging behind in the polls**
• this new project is supposed to be part of Seoul's third urban railways plan, to be announced later (that's a 10-year plan, last one was for 2015-2025, maybe the plan will be revealed in 2020, but this can't wait because of the elections)
• ...

This may sound a tad cynical but again, announcements related to subways have always been heavily political (whatever the party in charge), because there's so much at stake at the real estate level, and you know how much that counts in Seoul.

*

Now, let's have a closer look at this new line. We don't have the details yet, particularly the list of stations, or how the Han River or Bugaksan shall be crossed (doubling Seongsan Bridge and the Bugak Tunnel? under the Hangang?), but we can get a more than general idea.

Comparing the new map (above) to the one featuring the previous 10 projects (see ""Seoul LRT Projects Update (Part 1/2)", "Seoul LRT Projects Update (Part 2/2)"), and of course the Naebu Expressway, here's my best guess, going from West to East:

• 'Gangbuk LRT' seems to start from the potential Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital station of the Mok-dong Line (west of Anyangcheon, and Dangsan Station). 
• it then seems to intersect with Line 9 at Sinmok-dong Station before crossing the river on Seongsan Bridge
• on the other side of the river, it would certainly meet Line 6 at Mapo-gu Office
• after that, it probably connects with Gyeongui Jungang Line / Gyeongui Line at Gajwa Station, and Line 3 at Hongje Station, with a couple stations in-between (at least one at the intersection of Jeungga-ro and Hongjecheon, between Yeonhui-dong and Namgajwa-dong, and one at Seodaemun-gu Office)
• we know that the new line joins the Ui-Sinseol LRT line at Jeongneung Station (Seongbuk-gu), but it would be utterly stupid to spend millions just crossing the mountain like the Naebu Expressway, and leaving Jongno-gu's Pyeongchang-dong valley completely off Seoul's railway grid. I would rather follow the road (Segeomjeong-ro / Pyeongchangmunhwa-ro), and add one station right before Inwangsan (in Hongeun-dong), and a couple in the valley itself, for example***: 
• one at the feet of Sangmyung University Seoul (Hongji-dong at Jahamun-ro), or at the Sinyeong-dong Samgeori (Segumjung Elementary School at Jinheung-ro)
• one or two at the intersection with the roads leading uphill (e.g. at Pyeongchang 20-gil)
• so far, between Mok-dong and Jeongneung, we have listed 9 to 11 stations, which leaves us 4 to 6 until the end. Judging by the map, I could add up to 5 existing stations: on Line 4 (Gireum Station), Line 6 (Wolgok Station, Korea University Station), and Line 1 (Jegi-dong Station, Cheongnyangni).

The main advantages would be to cover two big holes in Seoul's subway map: central Seodaemun-gu, and Pyeongchang-dong, and to add horizontality where it could make sense. But the Seobu Line is far better designed for the needs of Western Seoul, doubling the Naebu Expressway would demand disproportionate investments, and there are probably far smarter horizontals to build.

Of course, the fact that many cars use an urban highway doesn't mean that many citizens would take the same route by subway. Fundamentally, this top-down project doesn't seem fully thought through. I hope Seoul has a more serious and comprehensive plan to not only fix these two holes, but also pave more cleverly the (rail)way for the removal of the city's embarrassing elevated expressways.

*

Anyway, even if this project fails, and even if Mayor PARK fails in 2022, he still can run another marathon: Seoul has just been confirmed as Pyongyang's sister city in the bid for the 2032 Olympic Games (little suspense there, Busan didn't make much geographical sense):

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* most dramatically in the charming Hongjecheon valley (see "Along Hongjecheon, my way or the highway")
** in a mirror fashion, Prime Minister LEE Nak-yon leads against Seoul Mayor PARK while former PM HWANG Kyo-ahn leads against former Seoul Mayor OH (including in the race for LKP leadership later this month, with a vote expected during Trump-Kim Summit II in Hanoi):

2022 poll (JoongAng Ilbo): liberals LEE Nak-yon, RHYU Si-min, PARK Won-soon, conservatives HWANG Kyo-ahn, OH Se-hoon, HONG Joon-pyo (20190103 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1080637278605570048)

*** that's what I had in mind in the 'second circular line' project mentioned in my comment dated "August 20, 2013 at 6:00 PM"

Seoul LRT Projects Update (Part 2/2)

This post completes my tryptic on the revised Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Master Plan:

• Episode 1 ("If you ain't broke, fix it: Seoul, Welfare and Railways Deficits"): focus on the macro level of this master plan (the big picture, and Seoul's proposed 3 priority axes
• Episode 2 ("Seoul LRT Projects Update (Part 1/2)"): focus on the full list of 10 LTR projects, 3 potential further projects (in blue on the map below), and the first 3 lines of the list, which I dubbed "The 3-Tailed Dragon" (Seobu Line, Sillim Line, Nangok Line)
• Episode 3 (today): the rest of the list, including another intriguing phenomenon, the tentacles of Line 2.
• NB: you may as well browse all posts related to Seoul subway

Before starting, one last glance at the map...

Seoul map with the projected LRT lines: the initial 7 in black, the updated list of 10 in red, 3 potential further projects in blue

... and at the updated list of LRT lines (7 + 3 + maybe 3, see previous post), with their projected daily traffic and length:

• 7 lines in the initial list (in black on the above map):
• Dongbuk Line (183,276 users, 13.3 km extended to 14.3)
• Seobu Line (163,754 users, 15.7 km extended to 19.5) - see previous post
• Sillim Line (119,743 users, 8.9 km extended to 10) - see previous post
• Myeonmok Line (91,472 users, 9 km)
• Mok-dong Line (89,587 users, 10.8 km)
• Nangok Line (54,247 users, 4.1 km) - see previous post
• Ui-Sincheol Extension (30,227 users, 3.5 km)
• 3 new lines (in red on the above map):
• Wirye-Sinsa Line (168,784 users, 14.8 km)
• Subway Line 9 Extension (65,159 users, 3.8 km)
• Wirye (33,081 users, 5 km)
• for the 3 potential further projects (in blue on the above map), see previous post

And remember: this is only Seoul's wishlist, n projects at various stages of maturity, not even a final proposal. Don't expect everything to happen.



Mokdong Line: a new tentacle for Line 2

I'm starting with this project today to wrap up Southwest Seoul (after the Seobu, Sillim, Nangok lines and the Hongdae-Hwagok project). The Mokdong Line seems to be doubling the Subway Line 5 and the weird Sindorim-Kkachisan tentacle that grows from Subway Line 2. Actually, "Mokdong" is basically a new L-shaped Line 2 tentacle reaching from Dangsan to Sinwol, that crosses the first one without any connection, and fundamentally brings more traffic to Line 2 and to the growing Dangsan hub. On a more positive note, it alleviates the Sindorim and Yeongdeungpo-gu Office stations, and serves more directly central Mok-dong (between lines 5 and 9), plus the westernmost neighborhoods of Guro-gu, on the outer side of line 5.

• Fundamentally, I don't like the idea of multiplying converging lines to a saturated axis, and to see all new line projects stop at Seoul borders, as if it were a wall. Particularly when, on the other side of this frontier, Bucheon's Ojeong-gu is solely crossed by the Gyeongin Expressway. I subscribe to the ambition of having most Seoul citizens living a maximum 10 mn walk away from subway stations, but Seoul is not an island, the city must improve its dialog with Gyeonggi-do, offer alternative to cars for commuters, consider maybe a second ring beyond line 2.... Always this deficit in vision and long term impacts, but also always these political bottlenecks at the local, regional, and national levels, which tend to multiply quick fixes, and to prevent larger scale and more sustainable projects from emerging.

• The 12 projected stations (approximative list):
• Dangsan Station (Subway Lines 2, 9) in Dangsan-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu: a confirmation of the Dangsan-Yeouido-Noryangjin triple hub. The Mokdong Lines heads westwards.
• Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital / Wolchon Middle School at the frontier of Yangpyeong-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, and Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu: a high density "apateu" neighborhood on the other side of Anyangcheon
• Mok-dong / SBS in Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu: on the other side of the Gyeongin Expressway / Gukhoe-daero axis, by SBS center.
• Omokgyo Station (Subway Line 5) in Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu: still following the general direction of the Mokdongseo-ro / Mokdongdong-ro axis.
• Yangcheon-gu Office in Sinjeong-dong, Yangcheon-gu: the station will be close to the actual office, a couple of blocks away from the Yangcheon-gu Office Station on the older "tentacle" of Line 2... I hope they are somehow connected, or that they'll come up with a different name, otherwise we're in for another Sinchon Station mess (the Line 2 - Gyeongui Line stations share the same name but are not connected). But according to the maps, the new tentacle crosses the old one without any connecting station. I know this is a light rail, low cost project, but considering the scarcity of subway lines in this city, I don't understand how one can come up with non-intersections. This is supposed to be a network, for gimchi's sake! Granted, it's already complicated to get a train in the direction of these weird tentacles...
• Sintree Park in Sinjeong-dong, Yangcheon-gu: at the intersection of Jungang-ro and Sinjeong-ro. Line 2 passes here, and if this Sintree Station were on line 2, it would be exactly halfway between Yangcheon-gu Office and Sinjeongnegeori Stations.
• Seobu Truck Terminal / Yangcheon high schools in Sinwol-dong, Yangcheon-gu: at the intersection between Nambusunhwan-ro (Nambu Ringway) and Sinjeong-ro, which continues across Waryongsan to Bucheon via the Gungdong Tunnel. At one stage, a short sub-tentacle was supposed to grow from here to Sinjeong District 3 and to a line depot, but the line follows Nambu Ringway northwards
• Gangsin Middle School in Sinwol-dong, Yangcheon-gu: further on Nambusunhwan-ro 
• Gangwol Elementary School in Sinwol-dong, Yangcheon-gu: at the intersection with Sinwol-ro. A lot of apartment blocks have been erected to the left of these last two stations, on the eastern slopes of Waryongsan, where the sub-tentacle would have landed.
• Sinwol Interchange in Sinwol-dong, Yangcheon-gu: at the intersection between Nambu Ringway and Gyeongjin Expressway
• Sinwol-dong Sageori in Sinwol-dong, Yangcheon-gu: at the intersection with Garogongwon-ro, which leads to Gogang-dong, Ojeong-gu, Bucheon
• Sinwol in Sinwol-dong, Yangcheon-gu: at the intersection with Hwagok-ro, a significant road that leads to Gayang Bridge and the DMC to the East and (as Bongo-daero) to Jakjeon Station in Incheon

Ui-Banghak Line: not so simple

After yesterday's "3-Tailed Dragon" and this new tentacle, I'm taking a break with the simpler Ui-Banghak Line. No headache here, we're only prolonging the Ui-Sinseol Line, already well under way, to Banghak Station. The vertical between Bukhansan and Line 4 will then follow the parallel all the way to Subway Line 1.

• No headhache? Note that Ui-Sinseol basically prolongs Line 2's eastern tentacle (Seongsu-Sinseol-dong), but that's not the same technology (LRT). Note also that this is not exactly an extension, but an outgrowth starting from the next to last station (Ui - Munigyo)... do we need more sub-tentacles? Typically the consequence of short term planning.

• The 12 initial stations (reminder) - NB: tentative names, as usual here:
• Sinseol-dong (Subway Lines 1, 2) in Dongdaemun-gu.
• Bomun (Subway Line 6) in Seongbuk-gu
• Sungshin Women's University (Subway Line 4) in Seongbuk-gu
• Jeongneung (Jeongneung Samgeori) in Seongbuk-gu
• Kookmin University - Seokyeong University (Jeongneung-dong) in Seongbuk-gu
• Sinmia / Dongbuk Market in Gangbuk-gu
• Samyang-dong Samgeori / Samyang Market in Gangbuk-gu
• Hwagyesa / Sinsuyu in Gangbuk-gu
• Ui Elementary School / Insu / Suyu in Gangbuk-gu
• 4.19 Memorial Cemetery in Gangbuk-gu - close to Duksung Women's University in Dobong-gu
• Ui / Munigyo Samgeori in Gangbuk-gu
• Bukhansan / Ui-dong Resort in Gangbuk-gu. Theoretically the beginning of the line, and the line depot.
• 2 new stations are planned for the new Ui-Banghak Line (4 stations overall):
• Ui / Munigyo Samgeori (Ui-Sinseol Line) in Ui-dong, Gangbuk-gu: intersection of Samyang-ro and Haedeung-ro, which the new line takes eastwards, crossing Uicheon.
• Banghak / Ssangmun / Seondeokgogyoipgu in Banghak-dong and Ssangmun-dong, Dobong-gu: at the intersection between Haedeung-ro and Sirubong-ro, in the middle of a massive new town. The line continues eastwards then takes Dobang-ro to the left.
• Dobang in Banghak-dong, Dobong-gu: intersection between Dobang-ro and Sirubong-ro 15-gil
• Banghak Station (Subway Line 1) in Dobong-dong, Dobong-gu:

Dongbuk Line: The Northeastern Light Rail Highway

One of the longest projects, and the one expecting the heaviest traffic, the Dongbuk Line improves coverage in Northeast Seoul and alleviates traffic from the saturated subway lines 1 and 4. Starting from Wangsimni Station, it initially stopped at Eunhaeng Sageori, but has been stretched to Sanggye Station.

• Wangsimni confirms its role as a major hub west of the city center. Seoul takes care of its bed towns on the way, but doesn't extend the hand to the other side of Buramsan (well in the first place, Gyeonggi-do didn't plan any railway for its own New Towns there - a total nonsense for XXIst century urban planning).

• Projected stations (tentative list):
• Wangsimni Station (Subway Line 2, 5, Jungang Line) in Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu
• Doseon Sageori in Doseon-dong, Majang-dong, and Hongik-dong, Seongdong-gu: intersection of Gosanja-ro and Majang-ro
• Jegi-dong Station (Subway Line 1) in Yongdu-dong and Jegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu. Note that we could have stopped on the way at Yongdu Station in the eastern tentacle of Line 2.
• Korea University Station (Subway Line 6) in Jongam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Cheongnyangni-dong, Dongdaemun-gu
• Sungnye Elementary School in Jongam-dong, Seongbuk-gu: along Jongam-ro
• Jongam in Jongam-dong, Seongbuk-gu
• Miasamgeori Station (Subway Line 4) in Songcheon-dong and Songjung-dong, Gangbuk-gu. From then, the line follows the Wolgye-ro diagonal
• Odong Park - Dream Forest in Songjung-dong, Gangbuk-gu
• Dream Forest in Beon-dong, Gangbuk-gu, and Jangwi-dong, Seongbuk-gu
• Wolgye Station (Subway Line 1) in Wolgye-dong, Nowon-gu: then, the line crosses Jungnangcheon, and Wolgye-ro becomes Hangeulbiseong-ro
• Hagye Station (Subway Line 7) in Hagye-dong, Nowon-gu: and the new SeMA Nowon
• Daejin High School in Hagye-dong, Nowon-gu: intersection Hangeulbiseong-ro / Nowon-ro
• Eunhaeng Sageori in Junggye-dong, Nowon-gu: intersection Hangeulbiseong-ro / Junggye-ro (reminder: walk up that street to reach Baeksa Maeul). Where the line stopped in previous plans.
• Sanggye Station (Subway Line 4)

Myeonmok Line: Eastern Eggs

Starting from Cheongnyangni, the Myeonmok Line covers a triangle between subway lines 1, 5, and 7 in Dongdaemun-gu, and almost reaches subway line 6 in Sinnae-dong, on the other side of the Jungang Line.

• Private investors are interested by this line. Maybe because it can easily be prolonged, at a cheaper cost than line 6, to the Namyangju New Towns that will necessarily have to be connected some day. And speaking of connections, this line ignores the old Jungan Line as well as the Bonghwasan terminus of Line 6.

• Projected stations (tentative list):
• Cheongnyangni Station (Jungang Line, Subway Line 1) in Jeonnong-dong and Cheongnyangni-dong, Dongdaemun-gu.
• University of Seoul in Jeonnong-dong, Dongdaemun-gu: the gate at Seoulsiripdae-ro and Jeonnong-ro
• Jeonnong-dong in Jeonnong-dong, Dongdaemun-gu
• Jangan-dog Sageori in Jangan-dong, Dongdaemun-gu: at the intersection of Dapsimni-ro and Jangan-ro, the line continues along the former, crosses Jungnangcheon
• Myeonmok / Myeongmokcheon-ro in Myeonmok-dong, Jungnang-gu
• Myeonmok Station (Subway Line 7) in Myeonmok-dong, Jungnang-gu
• Dongwon Sageori / Gyeomjae Samgeori in Mangu-dong, Jungnang-gu
• Yongmasan in Mangu-dong, Jungnang-gu: intersection Yongmasan-ro / Bongujae-ro, former Yongmaland amusement park
• Mangu Sageori in Mangubon-dong, Mangu-bong, Jungnang-gu: intersection Yongmasan-ro / Mangu-ro - NB: we're passing between the Mangu and Yangwon stations of the Jungan Line, but no connection...
• Jungnang-gu Office in Sinnae-dong, Jungnang-gu
• Neungsan Samgeori in Sinnae-dong, Jungnang-gu
• Sinnae in Sinnae-dong, Jungnang-gu

Wirye Sinsa Line & Wirye Line: New Town, Old Routes

At the frontier with Seongnam, Wirye New Town (Geoyeo-dong and Jangji-dong, Songpa-gu) gives its name to two projects:

• The Wirye Line is an omnibus crossing the whole new town with 9 very close outdoor stations (it really looks like the Paris Tramway), and perfectly connected on both sides to existing subway lines (Macheon on line 5, Bokjeong on lines 3 and 8). Again, I'm not a fan of new town, but I would never allow any major project that doesn't from day one include a robust railway backbone, and this one has at least that right. Do we need 9 stations, and did we need this new town in the first place, that's another question.

• The Wirye Sina Line does more than connect this new block to the grid: it goes all the way through to Sinsa, and I think this area has already seen many new lines in a recent past. Almost 15 km of essentially redundant lines, THAT's probably way too much.
• The line would start from the lower third of the new town (7th station out of 9 on Wirye Line), follow line 8 around Jangji-Munjeong, until Garak Market. This first stretch is totally redundant and disproportionate. Remember, Wirye Line IS already connected to Line 8. Had this WSL started from the 5th station of the WL, and added a brand new station in the middle of non covered land (Munjeong-dong - Jangji-dong, halfway to Garak Market) it would still look too much.
• After Garak Market, miracle: a new station in a less covered place (even then, Garak-1-dong is close to Songpa Station. WSL follows Tancheon and Tancheondong-ro, but I don't see any station on that long stretch... which line 9 is supposed to be covering soon anyway. So here again, almost total redundancy.
• What next? WSL goes north, crosses lines 2 (Samseong Station), 9, and 7 (Cheongdam Station). Then it becomes a parallel to the same lines 2, 9, and 7, that will meet the soon to be extended Bundang Line, and meet Line 3.

Line 9 Extension

From the start, the Subway Line 9 Extension tells a lot about the failed Subway Line 5 fork. Forks and tentacles are not natural forms for railways. Line 9 will basically follow this vertical from Seoul Veterans Hospital (Dunchon-dong, Gangdong-gu) to Godeok Gangil District 1 (Godeok-dong, Gangdong-gu), but frankly prolonging subway line 8 would have done the job. It's just that while many neighborhoods have yet to see a railway line, some love to build three or four parallels just for fun. Okay. I'm getting tired here. And it's good to have a line (9) that crosses the whole city - and I hope, one day, beyond (I already wrote that I expected one of these lines to reach to Guri and Hanam. Someday).

*

Now if you don't mind, I'll drop the maps and take a nap.

Until the next batch of projects.


Seoul Village 2013
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* see "'서울 어디서나 도시철도 10분' - 철도 중심시대가 열립니다" (seoul.go.kr 20130725)

Seoul LRT Projects Update (Part 1/2)

Here's the promised focus on the 10 Light Rail Transit lines proposed in the revised Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Master Plan*... Or at least the first half (I told you it would take time!):

• This post follows:
• a focus on the macro level of this master plan (the big picture, and Seoul's proposed 3 priority axes - see "If you ain't broke, fix it: Seoul, Welfare and Railways Deficits"), and
• a first glance at 7 projected LRT lines, a fortnight ago (see "Seoul Light Rapid Transit Back On Tracks").
• Today, we'll present the new full list of 10 lines supposed to be delivered during the next 10 years, introduce 3 more projects considered for a longer term, and study in detail 3 lines in this list of 10, which are interconnected (Seobu Line, Sillim Line, Nangok Line).
• The other 7 lines will be detailed in a further post
  UPDATE: here it is: "Seoul LRT Projects Update (Part 2/2)"

So. Again, overall, I strongly support the development of new railways across a metropolis that lags behind its global rivals in that most crucial field, and I'm happy to see major holes in the net fixed, but I want to be sure that the right priorities are set, particularly considering Seoul's limited financial resources, and the usual suspicions surrounding grand scale infrastructure projects popping up out of the blue a few months before mayoral elections.

And again, at the macro level, the master plan didn't lay out a clear strategic vision based on the existing situation and the challenges to come, which didn't help challenge the priorities, including at the micro level we're about to investigate now.

Are we missing something? And in case a trade-off were needed, which lines should be kept and which ones should be dumped? I wish I had all the answers and all the elements.

And remember: this is only Seoul's wishlist, n projects at various stages of maturity, not even a final proposal. Don't expect everything to happen.


The full (?) list of future LRT lines: from 7 to 10 (to 13?)


First, two maps (I told you, I love maps). I already showed you the first one, a "before-after" Seoul where each orange dot corresponds to a 10 min. walk around one railway station:

before and after the new lines - about this map, see previous post

The second map presents all the lines I'll list below:



Seoul map with the projected LRT lines: the initial 7 in black, the updated list of 10 in red, a 3 other projects in blue

Here's the revised list of ten LRT projects (starting with the initial list of 7, in black on the map / the last 3 - in italic, in red on the map - have just been added), with their projected daily traffic and length:

• 7 lines in the initial list (in black on the above map):
• Dongbuk Line (183,276 users - 13.3 km extended to 14.3)
• Seobu Line (163,754 users - 15.7 km extended to 19.5)
• Sillim Line (119,743 users - 8.9 km extended to 10)
• Myeonmok Line (91,472 users - 9 km)
• Mok-dong Line (89,587 users - 10.8 km)
• Nangok Line (54,247 users - 4.1 km)
• Ui-Sincheol Extension (30,227 users - 3.5 km)
• 3 new lines (in red on the above map):
• Wirye-Sinsa Line (168,784 users - 14.8 km)
• Subway Line 9 Extension (65,159 users - 3.8 km)
• Wirye (33,081 users - 5 km)

Seoul says 10,000 users are enough to make a line profitable (regardless of its configuration?). Note that for the moment, private investors have already shown interest in two lines: Seobu and Myeonmok.

3 other LRT projects (in blue on the above map) shall be considered 5 years from now, provided the conditions change favorably:

• The now famous Sillim Line extension into Seoul National University, for which SNU would pay 50% of the construction (don't buy your KRW 1,400 tickets to SNU too soon!)

• A further Subway Line 9 extension: from Godeok-Gangil District 1 to Gangil-dong, Gangdong-gu on the other side of the circular expressway 100, in the westernmost section of Seoul, right before Hanam. Reminder: back in 2010, Subway Line 5 was the one supposed to be prolonged to Hanam (see "Spectacular extensions of Seoul Subway Lines 4-5-6-7 ?")

• A Hwagok-Hongdae Line that, judging by the sketches, would start from Hongik University Station, cross the DMC along Worldcupbuk-ro, take the Gayang Bridge across the Han river, and follow Hwagok-ro to Hwagok Station (Hawgok-dong, Gangseo-gu), joining subway lines 2, 6, 9, and 5 in the process. It would add a precious vertical link within Southwest Seoul (nothing outside of the Subway Line 2 ring), and bring the western halves of the city closer together (not to mention the DMC and Magok District). While Seoul is at it, why not consider a more ambitious second ring? Expensive, I know, but always keep an eye on the big picture

• Note that Seoul also mentions a potential Subway Line 6 extension, maybe the one projected in 2010 (see "Spectacular extensions of Seoul Subway Lines 4-5-6-7 ?")

Now back to this list of 10. I'll start with the longest, the one that fills the biggest hole in Seoul's railway network, and the one I mentioned yesterday (see "Yonsei-ro the first street in Seoul to ban cars in its transportation mix"): Seobu Line. But I cannot do that without mentioning two shorter lines that are connected to it: Sillim and Nangok.


A 3-Tailed Dragon or the Seobu / University Line all the way?

• If you see the proposed network, 3 new vertical LRT lines are connected to each other, like a 3-Tailed Dragon:
• Seobu Line - The longest and most structural project: a vertical through Western Seoul (thus the name) that to the North fills the biggest hole in the network (around Eunpyeong-Seodaemun), and to the South cuts halfway between the too distant verticals of lines 2 and 4 (Dongjak-gu, Gwanak-gu). Between the two stretches, Seobu Line crosses Mapo-gu and doubles the horizontal line 9 through the saturated Yeouido hub. In previous plans, the line stopped halfway between Yeouido and Seoul National University Station.
• Sillim Line - A vertical between Yeouido and Sillim-dong, but more to the west (closer to Line 2, at the Yeongdeungpo-gu / Dongjak-gu border), and reaching deeper to the south, to east-Sillim-dong (Sinwon-dong, Seowon-dong, Seorim-dong, Sillim-dong)
•  Nangok Line - Around its middle (Boramae Park Station), where the Sillim Line becomes a diagonal, this vertical heads straigth to the south and west-Sillim-dong (Jowon-dong, Miseong-dong, Nangok-dong, Nanyang-dong)

• Frankly, I don't believe in a "3-Tail LRT Dragon" scenario where all 3 lines (Seobu, Sillim, Nangok) get the nod. Among the possible scenarii:
• If your priority is to reach SNU (that's a joke), you don't need a Sillim Line, and all you have to do is to add one "Inside SNU" station after Seoul National University Station via Gwanak-ro.
• If you want to keep only one project, and if you consider that the Sillim Line vertical is less central than Seobu to fill the Line 2 - Line 4 gap, you can keep the Seobu Line all the way to Guam station, finish with the last 3 stations of the Sillim Line to serve Sillim-dong (plus SNU if you insist!) and, to draw a straighter line between both segments, to replace Seoul National Station with Bongcheon Station, and Euncheon Samgeori station with, say, a station at the intersection of Euncheon-ro and Yangmyeong-ro.
• If you can only afford two lines, you can keep the modified Seobu Line I just described, and a combination of Sillim and Nangok (Yeouido-Boramae Park-Nanyang)

Seobu Line (approximative) list of stations

Seobu Line shall run from Saejeol Station in Eunpyeong-gu to Seoul National University Station in Gwanak-gu (in previous plans, it stopped at Jangseungbaegi Station):

• Saejeol Station (Subway Line 6) in Sinsa-dong, Eunpyeong-gu: where Gajwa-ro, a major diagonal axis in Seodaemun, crosses Bulgwangcheon
• Chungamgo Samgeori in Eungam-dong, Eunpyeong-gu (Baengnyeongsa: in front of Choongam High School, at a strategic fork betweeen Gajwa-ro and Baengnyeongsan-ro, which borders the recently erected Eungam New Town. After that, the line continues along Gajwa-ro and turns right at Geobukgol-ro, where it reaches the next station.
• Myeongji University in Namgajwa-dong, Seodaemun-gu: the first major university on this line (Myeongjidae), with another new new town, Gajwa New Town. Another right angle but to the left this time: the line follows Jeungga-ro, crosses Hongjecheon to reach the center of Yeonhui-dong.
• Yeonhui in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu: at Yeonhui Samgeori (intersection between Jeungga-ro and Yeonhui-ro), near Yeonhui Elementary School. The line takes Yeonhui-ro to the right, then Seongsan-ro to the left.
• Yonsei University in Sinchon-dong and Changcheon-dong, Seodaemun-gu: at the main gate of the university, in front of Yonsei-ro. About the impacts between this station and the next one (and my wish to see a connection with the Sinchon Station of the Gyeongui Line), read "Yonsei-ro the first street in Seoul to ban cars in its transportation mix".
• Sinchon Station (Subway Line 2) in Changcheon-dong, Seodaemun-gu and Nogosan-dong, Mapo-gu. University-wise, that's very close to the entrance of Seogang University, and one station away from Hongdae and Ehwa. Note that we just passed 4 new stations since Line 6: if you look back to the "before-after" map, that fills the "white" triangle in Northwest Seoul.
• Gwangheungchang Station (Subway Line 6) in Seogang-dong, Mapo-gu: we've been following Seogang-ro from Sinchon Rotary, and will continue straight across the Han river to Yeouido under the Seogang Bridge, where the avenue becomes Gukhoe-daero.
• Seogang Bridge Southern End (Seogangdaegyonamdan Sageori) in Yeoui-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu: at the intersection of Gukhoe-daero and Yeouiseo-ro. Instead of continuing straight and joining National Assembly Station, the Seobu Line takes Bokeum-gil to the left to draw a parallel to Subway Line 9, both lines cutting Yeouido in 3 almost equal slices.
• MBC (Munhabangsong ap - Potential connection to Sillim Line?) in Yeoui-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu: on the other side of the park, we're now on Gukjegeumyung-ro, at the intersection with Yeouinaru-ro, exactly halfway between Yeouinaru and Yeouido stations (Subway Line 5), less than 400 m on each direction on . It would be completely stupid not to make a direct connection with Yeouido Station, which is also on Subway Line 9: a simple corridor would do. But there is also a potential connection with the future Sillim Line (LRT), in case both are built. Note that 3 years ago, no connection was planned and that was quite a shock.
• Yeouido St.Mary's Hospital in Yeoui-dong, Yeoui-gu: at the Catholic University of Korea hospital, where Gukjegeumyung-ro meets Yeouidong-ro.
• Noryangjin Station (Subway Lines 1, 9) in Noryangjin-dong, Dongjak-gu: beyond the old fish market, a significant transportation hub, even if Seoul city has sidelined Noryangjin New Town. The line heads south, following Jangseungbaegi-ro, drawing a vertical line halfway between Subway Line 2 and Subway Line 4.
• Jangseungbaegi Station (Subway Line 7) in Sangdo-dong, Dongjak-gu: typically, line 7 runs for 7 stations between line 2 and line 4 without meeting any other line, and Jangseungbaegi is the one in the middle.
  THIS IS WHERE SEOBU LINE STOPPED IN PREVIOUS PLANS.
• Sinsangdo in Sangdo-dong, Dongjak-gu: that's the intersection of Jangseungbaegi-ro and Yangnyeong-ro, which the Seobu line will follow after that.
• Guam in Bongcheon-dong, Gwanak-gu: more precisely at the intersection of Euncheon-dong, and Seonghyeon-dong, an area densely populated, on the other side of the Yangnyeong Tunnel. The line then takes Euncheon-ro to the left.
• Euncheon Samgeori in Bongcheon-dong, Gwanak-gu: at the intersection of Euncheon-ro and Gwanak-ro (between Seonghyeon-dong, Jungang-dong, and Haengun-dong). The line takes Gwanak-ro to the right.
• Seoul National University Station (Subway Line 2) in Bongcheon-dong, Gwanak-gu: on the stretch of 6 stations between Daerim and Sadang, Bongcheon Station would have been more central.

Sillim Line (approximative) list of stations

Sillim Line shall run from Yeouido to Nanhyang-dong:

• MBC (Projected station - Seobu Line) in Yeoui-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu: see above
• Saetgang Station (Subway Line 9) in Yeoui-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu: where the line used to start before someone realized it would be interesting to connect the line with Seobu. The line takes Yeouidaebang-ro, towards South-Southwest.
• Daebang Station (Subway Line 1) in Daebang-dong, Dongjak-gu: at the intersection with Noryangjin-ro.
• Seongnam Middle & High School in Singil-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu and Daebang-dong, Dongjak-gu
• Boramae Station (Subway Line 7) in Singil-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu and Daebang-dong, Dongjak-gu
• Boramae Park (LRT Nangok Line?) in Sindaebang-dong, Dongjak-gu: at the park and hospital. That's where Nangok Line is supposed to start. The Sillim Line heads to the East along Bongcheon-ro.
• Danggok Sageori in Boramae-dong and Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu: the intersection with Sillim-ro, which the line will take towards South
• Sillim Station (Subway Line 2) in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu: the Sillim line will reach for the serpentine Dorimcheon
• Dorimcheon in Seowon-dong and Seorim-dong, Gwanak-gu: near the second Sillim Bridge.
• Sillim-ro near Sinseong Elementary School in Seorim-dong and Daehak-dong, Gwanak-gu: back to Sillim-ro, heading in the direction of SNU. On the other side of Dorimcheon starts Hoam-ro, along which Sillim New Town is under construction. Hoam-ro leads to Nangok-ro and Nanhyang-dong, where the Nangok Line ends. A potential Sillim Loop Line?
• Seoul National University main gate in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu: main gate, at the intersection with Gwanak-ro.

Nangok Line (approximative) list of stations

Nangok Line shall run from Boramae Park to Nanyang-dong:

• Boramae Park (LRT Sillim Line?) in Sindaebang-dong, Dongjak-gu: see above
• Sindaebang Station (Subway Line 2) in Sindaebang-dong, Dongjak-gu and Sinsa-dong, Gwanak-gu: the line follows Nangok-ro
• Nangok Sageori in Miseong-dong, Gwanak-gu: intersection with Munseong-ro
• Nangok-dong in Nangok-dong, Gwanak-gu: the heart of a small valley of Gwanaksan.
• Nanhyang-dong in Gwanak-gu: a cluster of apartments, and if you continue, Huam-ro, Sillim New Town (see above) 

Seoul Village 2013
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* see "'서울 어디서나 도시철도 10분' - 철도 중심시대가 열립니다" (seoul.go.kr 20130725)

If you ain't broke, fix it: Seoul, Welfare and Railways Deficits

I wanted to say a thing or two* about welfare and railway projects in Seoul following these two articles in Monday's Korea Herald:

• In "[Editorial] Seoul’s rail project" (subtitled "Debacles in other cities should serve as lesson"), the editors accuse PARK Won-soon of pushing a pharaonic and ill-financed program of 10 new light railway lines in the capital (including new tributaries to the ones listed earlier this month, see "Seoul Light Rapid Transit Back On Tracks"), which would cost KRW 3.5 tn to a city already KRW 26 tn in the red (the government would foot 1.1 tn of the bill, leaving 3.9 tn to private investors), not counting yearly compensations for the operators. The Seoul Mayor is also suspected of outrageously flip-flopping on the issue in order to boost his ratings ahead of next year's elections: he cancelled 6 of the 7 lines initiated by his predecessor OH Se-hoon, and now he's pushing even further.

• In "Seoul City may halt free child care", we learn how Seoul Metropolitan City criticizes PARK Geun-hye's government for promoting a non-sustainable free child care program for all kids under 5. PARK Won-soon asks the government to raise its subsidies from 20 to 40% because unlike more demographically challenged regions, his financially challenged city has to cope with 408,000 of these little citizens. If he mentions the fact that 42% of them are raised in wealthy households (top 30% bracket), PARK Won-soon doesn't go all the way and say that 42% of these kids may not necessarily need a $180 check every month, because he himself was elected on a non-sustainable free meal program that contributes to the said deficit (reminder: ironically, OH Se-hoon was the one proposing the "leftist" model where the rich would pay for the poor - see "Welfare in Korea: the debate (or lack of)" 2012 and "Seoul free school lunch referendum (continued)" 2011).

But there's an awful lot to say about Seoul's new railway projects. We're Thursday and, as I just wrote this morning*, I haven't finished yet. So I'll post today the part about the big picture, and the one about the 10 Light Rail Transit projects will follow as soon as I can.

But first, my two cents about welfare.

*

1) On welfare:


Of course, that's just politics as usual. The Saenuri Party wants to claim back Seoul, and this free child care for all almost sounds like an ironic joke ("so you fancy universal freebies, uh?") at the expense of a man who could also become a serious menace for the 2017 presidential elections: elected as an independent, PARK Won-soon is now running for the DP, and leveraging Korea's most powerful local authority to multiply popular/populist initiatives, leaving his only potential rival to date AHN Cheol-soo very much isolated, with little political machinery around him, and little media coverage.

I already made my point about welfare state, the state of welfare, and the state of the debate on welfare in Korea. Again, PARK Won-soon must give up ideology and populism, embrace pragmatism, and among other things stop offering free meals to the wealthiest. And again, Saenuri and the governement must also give up their own ideology, populism and pharaonic pork-barrel projects, and among other things promote a sound and sustainable welfare system, and carry out the structural reforms needed to revive Korean demography (including in the education system...).

Unfortunately, reason remains most of the time a foreign word in Korean politics nowadays.

Significantly, in its revised Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Master Plan**, the city is using the word "welfare" to qualify new railway projects. That's typical PARK Won-soon "human-centric-on-the-fringe-of-populism" lingua, but I do believe in public service, and in public transports as a fundamental right for metropolitan citizens. Besides, "welfare" and "fare well" are akin.

I'm not for or against anyone. I want Seoul, the region, and Korea as a whole to succeed and to invest wisely when it's still possible. And when I say "Korea as a whole", I mean both Koreas: the frontier is very close, and it won't remain closed forever.

At this moment, just like Korea has a welfare deficit, Seoul has a railway deficit, so if you ain't broke, fix it.

*

2) On the revised Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Master Plan: yes, Seoul needs more railways...


10 years from now, all Seoulites shall live within a 10 min walk from a subway station. Or rather the overwhelming majority of Seoul citizens: the most remote parts of this mountainous city are not solely populated with Steve Austins, Jaime Sommerses, and other Usain Bolts.

The biggest gaping holes in the grid shall be significantly reduced (e.g. Seodaemun-gu, Geumcheon-gu, Northeast)

That's the ambitious target fixed in the revised Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Master Plan** expected (in whose dreams?) to be validated next year by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Seoul will officially submit the plan in September.

Compared to earlier versions, the vision has been a bit simplified at the macro level and complexified at the micro level. I'll get into the details for the suggested improvements to the "broadband" backbone and Light Rail Transit projects, but one thing is sure: Seoul does need more railways.

If I already questioned the economic viability of the new light rail lines, I disagree with those who think that buses will solve everything. Even if the Seoul bus network is very efficient, railways mean high capacity and consistency, and they represent the main backbone for any metropolis, a core element of multimodal transportation systems aiming at reducing the use of cars and promoting public services and greener individual modes (pedestrians, cyclists...).

Clearly, Seoul is still lagging behind key rival capitals. Subways carry only 36% of Seoul passengers (28% take buses / 31% cars or taxis / 5% other), compared to 86% in Tokyo (1 / 11 / 2%), 65% in London (8 / 25 / 2%), and 58% in Paris (9 / 28 / 5%).

By extending its rail network to 441 km, Seoul expects to raise the share of public transport from 64 to 75%. Today, its 327 km-long network is only 15% longer than that of Paris, a city six times smaller:

City	Daily users (M)	Tot. rail netwk (km)	Subway (km)	Light Rail (km)	Street-car (km)	Mono-rail (km)	Netwk per citizen (km / M)
LONDON	3.210	464	402	34	28	-	67
PARIS	4.180	283	218	-	65	-	43
TOKYO	8.500	354	306	16	17	18	40
SEOUL	7.010	327	327	-	-	-	31

3) ... but the big picture could be improved


At the macro level, Seoul wants to beef up its "broadband" backbone, and to strengthten the 'Hanyang-Gangnam-Yeouido' triangle. "Hanyang", that's the original name of Seoul, a more poetic word than "downtown", and a wide area encompassing a significant number stations... except the one supposed to be Seoul's main hub: sorry, but Seoul Station is not located within fortress walls!

Anyway, here's the big picture:

This map shows us the three above mentioned hubs, and four colorful axes:

• The blue axis refers to the future Sinansan Line (Seoul Station-Ansan Jungang): Phase 1 (Yeouido-Gwangmyeong) is expected by 2019, and the rest (Seoul Station-Yeouido + Gwangmyeong-Jungang) by 2022. Seoul city doesn't need to change the program.

• The purple axis refers to the Sinbundang Line, which Seoul would like to extend all the way to the new Samsong District in Goyang via Gwanghwamun, a project that would also alleviate traffic congestion on Subway Line 3 and Tongil-ro. For the moment, only the Gangnam-Yongsan section of the extension is scheduled (Phase 3 - 2018, via Sinnonhyeon, Nonhyeon, Sinsa, Dongbinggo or Seobinggo, and Ichon). Where would they pass by after that? Seoul mentions a 19.7 km extension between Donbinggo and Samsong, and we've seen similar projects before (see for instance "3 subway lines projects revived ?", 2 years ago), but this time Pyeongchang-dong could be in the loop: both sides of Jahamun tunnel seem to be awarded a dot in the above "before-after" map, and the other day I saw banners urging local authorities to keep their promises and to deliver the long expected subway... Anyway, intense lobbying should rage everywhere and at all levels until the elections.

• The pink axis refers to the Suseo High Speed Railway (Suseo-Dongtan KTX - see "New KTX vertical to Gangnam by 2015" - NB: Suseo also in a Korea Train eXpress project to Pyeongtaek). Seoul wants a 30.4 km-long extension between Suseo and Uijeongbu via Cheongnyangni to create a Dongtan-Uijeongbu line. Note that this pink axis doesn't pass by any of the three hubs, which proves that the presentation needs some fixing.

• The green axis refers to the GTX Line B. Expected for September 2016, the Great Train eXpress project consists of 3 lines, each one about 45-50 km-long:
  - GTX Line A is in the general direction of the "purple axis" (Sinbundang): initially from KINTEX (Ilsan/Goyang) to Dongtan New Town (Hwaseong) via Daegok, Yeonsinnae, Seoul Station, Gangnam Station, and Suseo (NB: the Suseo-Dongtan part corresponds to the KTX, stretching the line to 74.8 km overall).
  - GTX Line C is in the general direction of the "pink axis" (KTX): from Geumjeong to Uijeongbu via Gwacheon, Yangjae, Gangnam, Cheongnyangni, and Changdong/Sanggye.
  - Seoul city focuses on the GTX Line B, initially planned from Cheongnyangni to Songdo via Seoul Station, Yongsan, Yeouido, Sindorim, Dangarae, Bupyeong, and Incheon City Hall. But only the Songdo-Dangarae-or-Sindorim section seemed secured. Seoul suggests to change course, and to draw a southern express line across Seoul from Dangarae to Jamsil (30.3 km), via Gangnam of course. Note that GTX is not just 3 times faster than a standard subway, it also has fewer stations, which would shrink a trip from the COEX to Ilsan from 83 to 22 min in case of Line A, or a Songdo-Jamsil from 112 to 39 min according to this newly suggested route.

Frankly, I'd like to see a different presentation. If we want to improve the whole system, we need to understand the situation and the dynamics, the challenges. We need to see several maps of Seoul and its sudogweon region with all existing road and railway networks, all the projects already in the pipe, the ones already in discussion, but also the mountains and valleys, the demographics, the fluxes by transportation modes, the hubs and nodes, the bottlenecks of today and tomorrow (e.g. New Towns)... We need to visualize the present and the future.

Before getting the recos for the rapid transit, we want a big picture of the dynamics, regardless of the transportation networks that enable them. There are too few elements in the document released last month about transports (Vision 2030), and not many maps, let alone relevant ones. If the  previous administration can be blamed for many things, it was much better at communicating a strategic vision and at drawing maps, for instance in this slide from the 2006-2010 plan (Vision 2020):

Of course this map is debatable too. But here, we know much more what's going on, and what the city has in mind. We also know that before thinking Songdo, Dongtan or Uijeongbu, Seoul thinks - as it should - Incheon, Daejeon, Chuncheon, or Pyeongyang (talking about the big picture and tomorrow challenges!). Furthermore, we visualize a much more relevant selection of main hubs: we're neither forgetting Yongsan, nor neglecting the considerable effort around Sangam-Susaek and Cheongnyangni-Wangsimni to boost Northwest and Northwest Seoul and relieve downtown bottlenecks at the same time.

So back to the drawing board. And more maps, please. I love maps.

*

See also the following 2 focus on all LRT projects:
"Seoul LRT Projects Update (Part 1/2)"
(the full list of 7+3+3 projects, the "3-Tailed Dragon")
"Seoul LRT Projects Update (Part 2/2)"
(all other projects)


*

* Well, I already did that Monday on Twitter, but with a constraint of 2x140 characters:



#ParkWonsoon wants fair free child care (same as what #OhSehoon wanted for free meal program ^^!)
(9:55 PM - 29 Jul 13 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/361832451628216321)
#Seoul mayor #ParkWonsoon also flip-flopping regarding #OhSehoon's railway projects, according to @TheKoreaHerald
(9:58 PM - 29 Jul 13 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/361833197744562177)

 

*

Seoul Village 2013
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* if writing "Yonsei-ro the first street in Seoul to ban cars in its transportation mix" contributed to the delay, it also paved some of the way ahead
** see "'서울 어디서나 도시철도 10분' - 철도 중심시대가 열립니다" (seoul.go.kr 20130725)