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Seoul Metropolitan Subway

Line 2
Overview
Native name	수도권 전철 Sudogwon Jeoncheol
Owner	Government of South Korea, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Incheon Metropolitan City, Bucheon City, Uijeongbu City, Yongin City and private companies
Locale	Seoul Capital Area
Transit type	Rapid transit, Commuter rail
Number of lines	22
Number of stations	716
Annual ridership	1.91 billion (2017, Lines 1-9, Seoul Subway)[1] 1.16 billion (2017, Korail)[2]
Operation
Began operation	15 August 1974; 44 years ago (1974-08-15)
Operator(s)	Seoul Metro, Korail, Incheon Transit Corporation, and private rapid transit operators
Technical
System length	331.5 km (206.0 mi) (Seoul Metro / Line 9 only)[3][not in citation given] 1,131 km (703 mi)[4][not in citation given] (all lines)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
System map

The Seoul Metropolitan Subway is a metropolitan railway system consisting of 22 rapid transit, light metro, commuter rail and people mover lines located in northwest South Korea. The system serves most of the Seoul Metropolitan Area including the Incheon metropolis and satellite cities in Gyeonggi province. Some regional lines in the network stretch out to rural areas in northern Chungnam province and western Gangwon province that lie over 100 km away from the capital as well as Suwon.^[5]

The network consists of numbered lines 1–9, which serve Seoul City proper and its surroundings and named regional railways that serve the greater metropolitan region and beyond.^[6] Most of the system is operated by three companies – Seoul Metro, Korail (Korea National Railroad) and Metro 9.^[7] However, there are several other lines stretching out to regional provinces.

Its first metro line, Line 1, started construction in 1971 and opened in 1974, with through-operation to Korail suburban railways. Today, the network is one of the largest and most efficient urban railway systems in the world, with 331.5 km (206.0 mi) of track on lines 1–9 alone; wireless and internet service on all trains; and platform screen doors at all stations apart from a few. It also has real-time train information on colour LCD screens at every station.

Overview

The first line of the Seoul Subway network started construction in 1971.^[8] The first section of subway was built using the cheaper cut and cover construction method. Line 1 opened in 1974 with through services joining surrounding Korail suburban railway lines similar to the Tokyo subway.^[9] Today, many of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway's lines are operated by Korail, South Korea's national passenger and freight railway operator.^[10] This is similar to Europe and Japan, where the national railroad often operates local mainline urban railways, such as the S-Bahns in Germany, operated by subsidiaries of Deutsche Bahn, or JR East in Japan, which operates many other urban rail systems in Japanese cities.

It has been described as the world's longest multi-operator metro system by route length.^[11] The system was rated as one of the world's best subway systems by CNN,^[12] and Jalopnik^[13] It is notable for its cleanliness and ease of use along with advanced technology such as 4G LTE, WiFi, DMB, and WiBro accessible in all stations and trains.^[14] Nearly all stations have platform screen doors installed; only Gaewha and some minor Korail-operated stations remain with open platforms.^[15] By 2017, Korail will completely install screen doors in every station and platform.^[16] The world's first virtual mart for smartphone users opened at Seolleung station in 2011.^[12]

All directional signs in the system are written in Korean, English and Hanja. In trains there are in addition many LCD screens giving service announcements, upcoming stop names, YTN news, stock prices and animated shorts. There are also prerecorded voice announcements that give the upcoming station, any possible line transfer, and the exiting side in Korean, followed by English. At major stations, this is followed by Japanese, then Mandarin Chinese, as well.^[17] Seoul Subway uses full-color LCD screens at all stations to display real-time subway arrival times,^[18] which are also available on apps for smartphones.^[19] Most trains have digital TV screens, and all of them have air conditioning and climate controlled seats installed that are automatically heated in the winter. In 2014, it became the world's first metro operator to use transparent displays for ads when it installed 48 transparent displays on major stations of Line 2 in Gangnam District.^[18]
All lines use the T-money smart payment system using RFID and NFC technology for automatic payment by T-money smart cards, smartphones, or credit cards and one can transfer to any of the other line within the system for free.^{[Note 1]}

Trains on numbered lines generally run on the right-hand track, while trains on the named lines (e.g. Shinbundang Line, Bundang Line, and AREX) run on the left-hand track. The exceptions are the trains on Line 1, as well as those on Line 4 south of Namtaeryeong station. These lines run on the left-hand track because these rail lines are operated by Korail, South Korea's national railway operator.^[20]

Lines and branches

The system is organised such that numbered lines, with some exceptions, are considered as urban rapid transit lines located within the Seoul National Capital Area (SNCA), whereas wide-area commuter lines operated by Korail provide a metro-like commuter rail service that usually extends far beyond the boundaries of the SNCA, rather similar to the RER in Paris. The AREX is an airport rail link that links Incheon International Airport and Gimpo Airport to central Seoul, and offers both express service directly to Incheon International Airport and all-stop commuter service for people living along the vicinity of the line. While operating hours may vary depending on the line in question, the Seoul Metropolitan Subway generally operates from 5.30 am until 1 am on weekdays, and from 5.30 am until midnight on weekends.

Line name	Termini		Stations	Total length	Opening Year	Last Extension	Operator	Owner
Line 1	Soyosan	Incheon / Sinchang / Gwangmyeong / Seodongtan	98	192.8 km (Korail)[21] 7.8 km (Seoul Metro)[3]	1974	2010	/	Government of South Korea / Seoul Metropolitan Government
Line 2	City Hall / Seongsu / Sindorim	City Hall / Sinseol-dong / Kkachisan	51	60.2 km[3]	1980	1996		Seoul Metropolitan Government
Line 3	Daehwa	Ogeum	44	19.2 km (Korail)[21] 38.2 km (Seoul Metro)[3]	1985	2010	/	Government of South Korea / Seoul Metropolitan Government
Line 4	Danggogae	Oido	48	40.4 km (Korail)[21] 31.7 km (Seoul Metro)[3]	1985	2000		Government of South Korea / Seoul Metropolitan Government
Line 5	Banghwa	Sangil-dong / Macheon	51	52.3 km[3]	1995	1996		Seoul Metropolitan Government
Line 6	Eungam	Bonghwasan	38	35.1 km[3]	2000	2001		Seoul Metropolitan Government
Line 7	Jangam	Bupyeong-gu Office	51	57.1 km[3]	1996	2012		Seoul Metropolitan Government / Bucheon City Council / Incheon Metropolitan City Council
Line 8	Amsa	Moran	17	17.7 km[3]	1996	1999		Seoul Metropolitan Government
Line 9	Gaehwa	VHS Medical Center	38	40.6 km	2009	2018	Seoul Metro Line 9 Corporation	Seoul Metropolitan Government / Seoul Metro Line 9 Corporation
AREX	Incheon Int'l Airport T2	Seoul Station	14	63.8 km	2007	2018	Airport Railroad Corporation	Government of South Korea
Gyeongui–Jungang Line	Munsan	Jipyeong	55	121.7 km[22]	2005	2017		Government of South Korea
Gyeongchun Line	Sangbong	Chuncheon	24	81.3 km[21]	2010	2016		Government of South Korea
Bundang Line	Cheongnyangni	Suwon	37	55.3 km[23]	1994	2018		Government of South Korea
Suin Line	Oido	Incheon	14	19.9 km[21]	2012	2016		Government of South Korea
Ui LRT	Bukhansan Ui	Sinseol-dong	15	11.4 km[24]	2017	-	UiTrans LRT Co.	Seoul Metropolitan Government / UiTrans LRT Co.
Shinbundang Line	Gangnam	Gwanggyo	13	31.0 km[25]	2011	2016	NeoTrans	Government of South Korea / Shinbundang Line & Gyeonggi Railway[26]
Incheon Line 1	Gyeyang	International Business District	29	29.4 km[27]	1999	2009	Incheon Transit	Incheon Metropolitan City Council
Incheon Line 2	Geomdan Oryu	Unyeon	27	29.1 km	2016	-	Incheon Transit	Incheon Metropolitan City Council
EverLine	Giheung	Jeondae – Everland	15	18.1 km[28]	2013	-	Yongin Rapid Transit Corporation	Yongin Rapid Transit Corporation
U Line	Balgok	Tapseok	15	11.1 km[29]	2012	-	Uijeongbu LRT Corporation	Uijeongbu LRT Corporation / Uijeongbu City Council
Gyeonggang Line	Pangyo	Yeoju	11	54.8 km	2016	-		Government of South Korea
Seohae Line	Sosa	Wonsi	12	23.4 km	2018	-	E-Rail	Government of South Korea / & Seohae line Corporation

History

Line 1, from Seongbuk station to Incheon station and Suwon station, opened on 15 August 1974. On 9 December 1978, the Yongsan-Cheongnyangni line (now part of the Jungang Line) was added to Line 1. Line 2 opened on 10 October 1980. In 1985, the fare system changed from charging by distance to zone and the Edmondson railway ticket changed to a magnetic paper ticket. Line 4 opened on 20 April 1985, and
Line 3 on 12 July. On 1 April 1994, the Indeogwon-Namtaeryeong extension of Line 4 opened. The Bundang Line, from Suseo station to Ori station, opened on 1 September. On 15 November 1995, Line 5 opened. The Jichuk-Daehwa extension of Line 3 opened on 30 January 1996. On 20 March, the Kkachisan-Sindorim extension of Line 2 opened. Line 7 opened on 11 October, and Line 8 on 23 November. On 6 October 1999, Incheon Subway Line 1 opened.

Seoul Subway Line 6 opened on 7 August 2000. In 2004 the fare system reverted to charging by distance, and free bus transfers were introduced. The Byeongjeom-Cheonan extension of Line 1 opened on 20 January 2005. On 16 December, the Jungang Line from Yongsan station to Deokso station opened. The Uijeongbu-Soyosan extension of Line 1 opened and shuttle service from Yongsan station to Gwangmyeong station began (with the route now shortened from Yeongdeungpo to Gwangmyeong) on 15 December 2006. On 23 March 2007, AREX opened. The Deokso-Paldang extension of the Jungang Line opened on 27 December. On 15 December 2008, the Cheonan-Sinchang extension of Line 1 opened. The magnetic paper ticket changed to an RFID-based card on 1 May 2009. On 1 July the Gyeongui Line from Seoul station to Munsan station opened, and on 24 July Line 9 from Gaehwa station to Sinnonhyeon station opened.

The Byeongjeom-Seodongtan extension of Line 1 opened on 26 February 2010, and the Gyeongchun Line opened on 21 December. On 28 October 2011, the Shinbundang Line from Gangnam station to Jeongja station opened. The Suin Line, from Oido Station to Songdo Station, opened on 30 June 2012. The U Line opened on 1 July, the Onsu-Bupyeong-gu Office extension of Line 7 on 27 October and the Gongdeok-Gajwa extension of the Gyeongui Line on 15 December. On 26 April 2013 EverLine opened, and the Gyeongui·Jungang Line opened on 27 December 2014. The Sinnonhyeon-Sports Complex extension of Line 9 opened on 28 March 2015. On 30 January 2016 the Jeongja-Gwanggyo extension of the Shinbundang Line opened, followed by the Songdo-Incheon extension of the Suin Line on 27 February. Incheon Subway Line 2 opened on 30 July, and the Gyeonggang Line on 24 September. The Gyeongui-Jungang Line is extended one station east to Jipyeong station on January 21, 2017, with 4 round trips to Jipyeong station. On 16 June 2018 the Seohae line opened. Magongnaru station on Line 9 became an interchange station with AREX on 29 September 2018.^[30]

Rolling stock

Fares and ticketing

T-money smart card

The Seoul Metropolitan Subway system operates on a unified transportation fare system, meaning that subways and buses in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi-do are treated as one system when it comes to fares. For example, a subway rider can transfer to any other line for free (with the exception of Shinbundang Line, EverLine and U Line, which add flat extra charges, amounting to 900, 200 and 300 won respectively). One can also transfer to any city buses for free, regardless of whether it is from Seoul, Incheon or Gyeonggi-do. In the case of Shinbundang Line, if one crosses Jeongja Station, 300 won is charged on top of the 900 won extra charge, although a cashback is offered to frequent riders between Pangyo Station and Dongcheon/Suji-gu Office Station.^[26]

Fare payments in Seoul are mainly handled by T-money and Cash Bee, which can also be used on buses, convenience stores and many other popular retail places. Riders must touch in a phone, card or other metro card and enabled device at the entry gates. Popular methods of payments are using NFC-enabled Android smartphones (topped up or billed to the owner's credit/debit card via the T-money app) or credit or check (debit) cards with built-in RFID technology issued by the bank or card company.

The current single-use ticket is a credit card-sized plastic card with RFID technology, which can be obtained from automated machines in every subway station. A 500 won deposit fee is included in the price, and is refunded when the ticket is returned at any station. Multiple use cards are sold in convenience stores and the functionality is included in many credit/debit cards.

Fares (except for single-use tickets) are currently 1,250 won for a trip up to 10 km, with 100 won added for each subsequent 5 km.^[31] Once 50 km has been passed, 100 won will be added every 8 km. Single-use ticket users must pay RFID deposit 500 won plus 100 won surcharge to fare.

Half-priced children's tickets are available. The city government also uses Seoul Citypass as a transportation card. Senior citizens and disabled people qualify for free transit and can get a free ticket or enter and exit using side gates rather than turnstiles.

International travelers can also use a Metropolitan Pass (MPASS) which provides up to 20 trips per day during the prepaid duration of 1 day to 7 days. Depending on where you purchase the card, the service is limited to the Seoul metropolitan area or Jeju Island and does not work in taxis or certain convenience stores.^[32][33]

Current construction

Opening 2019

• The Gimpo Goldline is scheduled to open on July 25, 2019, stretching 23.61 km over 9 stations, terminating at Gimpo International Airport station with transfers to Line 5, 9 and AREX.^[34]
  


• The Line 6 is scheduled to be extended by one station eastwards to Sinnae Station, where passengers will be able to transfer to the Gyeongchun Line.

Opening 2020

• 
  Line 5 will be extended east by April 2020 from Sangil-dong station with three stations to serve Gangil-dong and Hanam (Misa New City, Pungsan development area).


• The Suin Line and Bundang Line will be linked by the first half of 2020 once the Suin Line extension from Suwon station to Hanyang University at Ansan station via northern Hwaseong is completed.^[35]
  • Hagik Station between Songdo station and Inha University station will open as an in-fill station once redevelopment of the area surrounding it is completed. This area will feature cultural, commercial, and medical facilities along with new residential areas.^[36]
    
  
  


• 
  Line 7 will be extended west from Bupyeong-gu Office station to Seongnam stationby June 2020, offering a transfer to Incheon Subway Line 2.^[37]
  


• 
  Incheon Subway Line 1 will be extended west by 2020 from International Business District to Songdo Landmark City.

Opening 2021

• 
  Line 5 will be further extended east by 2021 from Pungsan to Hanam City Hall and Geomdan Mountain.


• The Seohae Line will be extended north in June 2021 from Sosa station to Daegok station, with transfers to Line 3 and the Gyeongui-Jungang Line.^[38] It will offer a transfer to Line 5, 9, AREX and Gimpo Goldline at Gimpo International Airport station.


• 
  Line 4 will be extended northeast from Danggogae station to Jinjeop station in the second half of 2021.

Opening 2022

• 
  Line 1 will be extended north from Soyosan station with five stations to Yeoncheon station. The existing line is being upgraded and double-tracked for frequent commuter services. Construction will be completed in 2022.^[39]
  


• The Shinbundang Line will be extended from Gangnam station to Sinsa station on Seoul Subway Line 3 by January 29th 2022. Further extensions to Yongsan station are also in the planning stages.


• The Sillim Line in southwestern Seoul is scheduled to open on February 28th, 2022. The 11-station underground LRT line will provide transfers to Lines 1, 2, 7, and 9 before terminating in the south at Seoul National University.

Opening 2023

• 
  Line 8 is being extended 6 stations northwards to Byeollae station of the Gyeongchun Line, with a transfer to Guri station of Gyeongui-Jungang Line along the way by 2023.^[40]
  


• 
  Wirye–Sinsa Line in southeastern Seoul will open Between Sinsa station and Wirye. with 11 Stations planned.^[41]
  


• The Wirye line An LRT in southeastern Seoul will open Between Macheon station on line 5 and splitting into two branches one at Bokjeong station on line 8 and bundang line. and one at unam (a station planned on Line 8). with 12 stations planned.^[42]
  

Opening 2024

• The Dongbuk Line will open between Wangsimni Station and Eunhaeng Sageori. with 14 stations.^[43]
  

Under planning

The Seoul Metropolitan government published a ten year plan for expansion of the subway with the following projects under consideration.^[44][45]

• 
  Gangbukhoengdan line a new line running in an arc north of Seoul between Cheongnyangni Station and Mok-dong station with 19 stations planned. The line will provide transfers to Lines 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, AREX, Gyeongui–Jungang, Gyeongchun, Bundang and Ui line. Construction of the line to start in 2021.^[46]
  


• 
  Ui LRT will open a branch line from Solbat Park station to Banghak station on Line 1, the extension will open with 3 stations.^[47]
  


• 
  Myeonmok Line is a light metro in the northeastern area of Seoul running between Cheongnyangni Station and Sinnae Station with 12 stations and connections to the Gyeongchun Line and Line 6.^[48]
  


• 
  Nangok Line is a branch of the light metro Sillim Line in the southwestern area of Seoul running between Nangok-dong and Boramae Park with 5 stations planned.^[49]
  


• 
  Mok-dong Line is a light metro in southwestern Seoul running between Sinwol-dong and Dangsan station on line 2, with 12 stations planned.^[50]
  


• 
  Seobu Line in Western Seoul will open between Saejeol station on line 6 and Seoul National University station on line 2 with 16 stations planned.^[51]
  


• 
  Line 9 will open a new phase 4 expansion from Gangil to Gangil 1-dong.^[52]
  


• 
  Line 4 will start running express services between Danggogae Station and Namtaeryeong station.^[53]
  


• 
  Line 5 will start running shuttle services connecting Gubeundari Station on the mainline and Dunchon-dong Station on the Macheon Branch.^[54]
  


• The Sillim Line will be connected to Seobu Line with a track between Seoul National University station (Line 2) and Seoul National University Station (Sillim Line).^[55]
  

See also

Notes

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Seoul Metropolitan Subway (category)

• Official websites by company
  
  
  
  • Korail
  
  
  • Seoul Metro
  
  
  • Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation
  
  
  • Shinbundang Line
  
  
  • Cyber Station - Map, station and route finder
  
  
  
  


• Seoul city government
  
  
  
  • The Seoul Underground Subway: Official Seoul Tourism
  
  
  • 
    English-language WMV video describing Seoul Subway history, current construction and future projects