Wanna feel old? Seoul’s Line 9 is nearly 13 years old!
But it is still being built, with MOLIT recently announcing the go ahead for another Line 9 extension, the project’s 4th phase. The Ministry confirmed in early January 2023 that it had given final approval for an eastern extension and that construction would soon begin.
Phase 4 will add 4.12km of track and include four new stations.
It will start at the current terminus of VHS Medical Center Station and will finish in “Godeok-Gangil 1-jigu“, a yet to be formally named station further east, but still within Seoul’s borders.
The route passes by the existing Godeok Station, where passengers will be able to transfer to Line 5. Average speeds on the line will be 32.1km/h for standard services, and 41.9km/h for rapid services.
MOLIT says that with construction starting in the near future, it expects to complete the extension by 2028. The business case for the 640.8 billion won project was first approved in May 2018.
Plans for the new extension at Godeok Station where it will meet Line 5.
The latest planned extension will bring the entire line, which has no crossings over the Han River, to a length of 45.5km once open.
For now. There is also a proposed 1.4km further extension to the end of Phase 4 This would add just one more station and open around the same time. Gyeonggi Province began investigating and planning this extra addition in June last year, but nothing is confirmed yet.
Line 9 has been a long-term project that has added a vital connection between the east and west of southern Seoul and is the only line in the capital to have dedicated express train infrastructure outside of Line 1.
The first three phases of Line 9 that are now open.
Here’s a quick recap on the history of the line:
With further extensions, comes further pressure on the line from commuters. It will be interesting to see whether further trains are added to Line 9 help cope with passenger numbers.
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Nice! The Seoul subway just keeps getting better and better. I hope this extension finishes on time. We used to go to Bongeunsa Temple a lot around 2011 or so and were really excited that the line was to extend there in 2012, only to have it delayed till 2015...
Glad that it goes there now, though, even though the temple itself has become much less attractive in recent years due to construction at the expense of the formerly really nice bit of nature behind it. Thanks for the update!
No worries. :) Yes, I understand the frustration of waiting on an extension that would be really useful, only for it to open up once you've moved away! Realistically, sometimes you have to mentally add 2-3 years to the estimated completion date if it's not under construction yet. Or in the GTX's case, 11 years!