Asia Spends Nearly $100 Billion on the World’s Fastest Subway System, Reducing Travel Time from 80 to 19 Minutes
A groundbreaking development in public transportation is set to revolutionize Seoul, South Korea. The Great Train Express (GTX), a new high-speed subway network for passengers, is scheduled to begin operations this Saturday. With speeds of up to 180km/h, the GTX aims to significantly reduce travel time between the provinces, cutting it down from 80 minutes to just 19 minutes – a remarkable improvement.
Transforming Public Transportation
President Yoon Suk Yeol announced on Friday that the GTX network aims to become the equivalent of London’s Crossrail or Paris’ RER system, connecting suburban areas to the capital. The new subway network will enable commuters traveling from Ga Suseo in southern Seoul to Dongtan in the Kyunggi province to reach their destination in just 19 minutes. This travel time equals only a quarter of what it would take by bus.
President Yoon drew parallels between this milestone and other important transportation developments in South Korea’s history, such as the opening of the Kyungbu Highway in 1970 and the introduction of the KTX high-speed train in 2004. The GTX project, with an estimated cost of 134 trillion won ($99.5 billion) and planned completion by 2035, will provide six lines connecting Seoul with remote areas.
President Yoon emphasized, “Today marks an important day for the transportation revolution in South Korea.”
Revolutionary Impact
The new high-speed subway line is expected to stimulate economic growth in the areas surrounding the stations. Furthermore, it addresses the issue of housing shortages in the capital city of Seoul, encouraging young adults to consider buying homes outside the congested urban center and starting families.
South Korea currently has one of the world’s lowest birth rates, with young people often choosing not to marry or start families due to the inconvenience of long commutes and the high cost of living in Seoul.
GTX will “activate a revolutionary improvement in urban competitiveness” for cities in the Greater Seoul area. It will also significantly reduce travel time between different cities, promoting interaction among residents.
The Future of Transportation
The 34.9-kilometer long GTX-A section, consisting of three stations – Suseo, Seongnam, and Dongtan – was inaugurated last Friday. Construction for this route was completed in 2023.
GTX will be one of the fastest subway systems in the world, with trains traveling at speeds of up to 180 km/h.
According to Reuters