Seoul Metropolitan Subway

From Free net encyclopedia

The Seoul Metropolitan Subway is one of the most heavily used subway systems in the world, with well over 8 million trips daily on the system's nine lines (total figures for Seoul Metropolitan Subway Corporation, Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation & Korean National Railroad commuter lines). The system serves Seoul and surrounding Gyeonggi Province and Incheon city, with a connection to the Incheon subway system. It began to serve Cheonan, Chungnam province in 2005. Ticket prices start at 900 won for a trip up to 12 km, with 100 won added for each 6 km after that. Riders may also enter the system using a pre-paid debit card called T-Money for a discounted price.

Current total length of the subway system is about 287 km (does not include KNR lines).

1 System
2 Operators
3 History
4 Lines
5 New construction
6 See also
7 External links

[edit]

System

Image:Seoul Subway Map ver2.png

[edit]

Operators

Subways are operated by three different organisations:

Korean National Railroad (KNR) (Bundang Line, most of Line 1, and parts of Lines 3 and 4);
Seoul Metropolitan Subway Corporation (SMSC) (Line 2, underground part of Line 1, and most of Lines 3 and 4). The corporation runs a total of 199 trains at 115 stations on lines 1-4. Generally, operation intervals are 2.5 -3 minutes during rush hours and 4-6 minutes during non-rush hours. An average of 3,879,000 passengers use subway lines 1-4 everyday. and
Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation (SMRTC) (Lines 5, 6, 7, and 8).

[edit]

History

Image:Traintube-seoul-southkorea.jpg Image:Seoul Subway Station Map.JPG

The KNR, the forerunner of the SMSC, began operating Line 1 in 1974. Lines 2, 3, and 4 followed in the late 1970s and 1980s. The SMRTC was formed in 1994 to take over operation of lines 5 to 8.

[edit]

Lines

The subway lines and their operators and colors are as follows:

Line 1 (originally red, now dark blue- mostly KNR, except for Seoul Station-Cheongnyangni, a subway operated by the SMSC). KNR's Gyeongin Line intersects with the Incheon Subway at Bupyeong station.
Line 2 (green- SMSC)
Line 3 (orange- SMSC, except for Jichuk-Daehwa operated by KNR)
Line 4 (light blue- SMSC, except for Seonbawi-Oido operated by KNR)
Line 5 (purple- SMRTC)
Line 6 (brown- SMRTC)
Line 7 (olive- SMRTC)
Line 8 (pink- SMRTC)
Bundang Line (yellow- KNR commuter subway line)
Jungang Line (aqua- KNR line which runs via the Gyeongwon Line)

[edit]

New construction

Two new subway lines are currently under construction and have yet to open:

Line 9 will run east from Gimpo Airport along the south bank of the Han River. Construction of the first phase began in April 2002 and is due for completion in late 2007.
New Bundang Line will be a new line from Gangnam in Seoul to Jeongja in Bundang, Seongnam. Construction is due to be completed in 2010.

Several existing lines are also currently undergoing extension:

Line 3 will be extended south from Suseo to Garak Market and Ogeum, interchanging with lines 8 and 5 respectively, by 2009.
By 2008, the Bundang line will be extended north from Seolleung to Wangsimni and south to Yongin and Suwon, with eventual plans for it to run all the way to Incheon, completing a southern outer semicircle.
Line 7 will be extended west 9.8 km from Onsu to meet Incheon Subway line 1 at Bupyeong-gu Office. Nine new stations will be added by 2010.

There are several major works still in the planning stage:

A 10 km extension to the New Bundang Line (see above) northward from Gangnam station to Yongsan is under consideration. If approved, the project is estimated to cost at least 400 billion won[1].
By the end of 2011, Seoul City plans to build a 10.72 km 'light' subway line from Ui-dong to Sinseol-dong in northern Seoul[2]. The line is expected to carry 110,000 passengers a day and will have 12 stations. It will connect to Line 4 at Sungshin Women's University Station, Line 6 at Bomun Station and Sinseol-dong Station (Line 1 & 2).
EverLine Rapid Transit System will be a new line branching off the Bundang line extension and running east into Yongin and then to the theme park Everland.
An extension of the Jungang Line from Deokso is also planned. This should eventually terminate in Wonju, Gangwon Province.

For more details on new projects, see [3] (in Korean)

[edit]