jasdooit

Due to the six-year delay in the inauguration of the Bujeon-Masan double-track railway, stemming from the consequences of a tunnel ground subsidence incident, local business communities and residents in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, are urging for an early completion this year.

The Gimhae Chamber of Commerce and Industry, along with locals from the Jangyu district, organized a press event at the Gimhae City Hall Press Center on the morning of the 4th, stating, “We can’t keep waiting for the Bujeon-Masan double-track railway, which has faced annual delays,” and “The government needs to commit to an early completion this year, for the sake of balanced national growth.”

No Eun-sik, president of the Gimhae Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated, “The Bujeon-Masan double-track railway is essential infrastructure that links Gimhae, Changwon, and Busan into one integrated living and economic area, impacting business investments, logistics expenses, and employment opportunities,” and “An early completion is needed to enhance workers’ travel conditions and address ambiguities in corporate investments, among other factors.”

The Bujeon-Masan double-track railway is an initiative aimed at linking Busan Bujeon Station with Masan Station in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, through a 51.1-kilometer rail line. Out of this, 32.7 kilometers from Busan Bujeon Station to Sinwol Station in Jillye-myeon, Gimhae, will be newly built. Upon completion, the journey time between Masan Station and Bujeon Station is expected to drop significantly from the current 1 hour and 30 minutes to between 30 and 40 minutes. It is also expected that connecting to the Donghae Line (Bujeon-Ulsan) will create a one-hour living zone encompassing “South Gyeongsang-Busan-Ulsan.”

The project was initially planned to begin construction in June 2014, be completed by June 2020, and officially open in February 2021. However, in March 2020, when the overall progress had reached 98%, a ground subsidence incident happened during the installation of an evacuation tunnel in an underground section that crossed the Nakdong River between Gimhae Airport Station and Sasang Station. From that point on, the opening has not occurred until now.

In October last year, during a national inspection, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said, “We plan to open in June 2026,” addressing concerns about the postponement. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has recently pushed back the construction timeline by an additional year, now set to conclude by the end of this year.

Although the majority of the construction work has been successfully finished, the exact opening date is still unclear. This is due to ongoing disputes between the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the project’s executor regarding whether to implement the evacuation plan at the collapsed area. The executor is pushing for the installation of a “partition-style evacuation route” rather than the originally planned evacuation tunnel, citing worries about potential further collapses during additional construction. However, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is reportedly sticking to its initial plan, expressing safety concerns if the location is modified.

Due to the prolonged delay of the project, small business owners and residents who relocated near the newly constructed stations, expecting the railway’s inauguration, are reportedly experiencing higher interest costs and falling property prices. The metropolitan authorities of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam have also encountered obstacles in their efforts to merge the southeastern region into one unified economic zone via the railway.

Gyeongnam Governor Park Wan-su mentioned during a meeting with senior officials on the 12th, “Neglecting a major transportation infrastructure, which has seen several trillion won invested, for six years because of a particular accident location is an act that disregards the local community,” and “This would not have occurred if it were in the metropolitan area.” He further stated, “In collaboration with Busan City, we strongly urge the government and political sectors to take action, using all available methods to implement partial openings, excluding the accident site, without delay.”