Busan opens metro Line 1 extension and adds new trains

Today Busan Transport Corporation opened a new extension on the city’s metro Line 1. The new section connects the previous south-western terminus at Sinpyeong with Dadaepo Beach.

At 7.98km long, there are six new stations on the extension, Dongmae, Jangnim, Sinjangnim, Natgae, Dadaepo Harbor and Dadeapo Beach. Construction on the 959 billion won project began in late 2009 and was completed in December last year.

The new section of track brings Line 1’s length from 32.5km to 40.48km, and provides an easier route into Busan’s southern industrial area, as well as a better connection to the beach.

Six brand new train sets (48 cars in total) will operate on the line, which feature more spacious seating, improved safety features and LTE-R mobile connections, a world first for urban rail. Busan Transport Corporation also signed a contract with Hyundai Rotem last year for 40 more new cars to replace the current rolling stock which dates back to 1985 and 1986. This new fleet will be delivered between the end of 2017, up until June 2018.

A future extension is also being planned for the eastern end of Line 1, but this is not expected to open until 2021. More about this in a future post.