Gongdeok Station in the west of Seoul links lines No. 5 and 6 but will soon become yet another major hub which connects with 4 different lines. As you may have noticed on some subway maps, Gongdeok is to link up with the airport railroad in the near future. While no exact date has been given, it is expected to open sometime at the end of this year.
Additionally, the Gyeongeui Line is to start running through Gongdeok as it follows its new permanent route down to Yongsan Station. This will provide direct access to the Gyeongeui line from Line No. 5. Look out for an upcoming post about the Gyeongeui Line’s terminus station change and plans for it to be directly connected to the Airport Railroad.
Once completed, Gongdeok Station is expected to look something like this.
Image: ALUTEK(Original Link)
The initial plans indicate that both lines will be underground, with one on top of the other. While not common in the past, gradually more stations in Seoul are being built this way to provide faster transfer routes within stations.
It is fair to ask why this link is being constructed as the Airport Railroad already links with Line No. 5 at Gimpo Airport Station and with Line No. 6 and the Gyeongeui Line at Digital Media City Station(DMC). So why is this connection being built? One can only speculate that it was an obvious choice due to the physical location of the overlapping lines and the benefits to passengers of a more central transfer point.
Though the Gyeongeui Line’s future route to Yongsan Station will not be ready until 2014. At the end of 2012, Gongdeok Station will open first as the Gyeongeui Line’s temporary terminus once construction from Digital Media City Station is completed.
