TWO new high-speed services have been added to Seoul’s rail network, with the first a direct rail link between Incheon International Airport and downtown Seoul, and the other connecting Seoul to Chuncheon, capital of nearby Gangwon province.
The new underground airport line, at a fee of KRW13,500 (US$12) per person, can take passengers from Incheon Airport to Seoul Station, the city’s central transport terminus, in about 40 minutes, less than half the travel time of other services.
This new link comes at a time when plans are underway to revitalise the Seoul Station area, which in 2015 will see the completion of the Seoul Station Convention Centre.
This 50,000m2 venue, larger than COEX (46,400m2) – currently Seoul’s main exhibition site – will include Korea’s largest conference facility (23,000m2), a 16,000m2 exhibition space and a 3,000-seat international conference centre.
Meanwhile, Seoul’s Gyeongchun Line launched its new double-track rail service between the city’s Sangbong Station and Chuncheon on December 21.
For a fee of KRW2,600 (US$2.30), travel times between Seoul and Chuncheon have been cut down from 110 minutes to approximately 79 minutes, while a journey on the express service is even faster at 63 minutes.
