Subway Line Between Seoul and Cheonan

The Metropolitan subway linking Suwon, Gyeonggi and Cheonan, Chungnam will open on January 20 after eight years and four months of construction.

Following this, the Cheonan region can be reached in 80 minutes from Seoul.

The Ministry of Construction and Transportation and the Korea Railroad announced yesterday that with the end of Byeongjum and Cheonan line (47.9km) construction and the unopened area of Suwon to Cheonan subway construction, the whole line will operate from January 20.

The Suwon to Byeongjum (7.2km) area already opened on 2003 April.

The line that is opening on Thursday consists of Suwon, Osan, Songtan, Serjung, Pyeongtaek, Sungwhan, Jiksan, Doojung, and Cheonan stations. Currently under construction stations of Saema, Osandae, Jinwhi and Jijae will open at the end of the year.

Normal trains that make stops in 30 stations between Seoul and Cheonan will operate for 140 returns with between train times of 10 to 14.2 minutes. It takes 112 minutes to go from Seoul to Cheonan.

Fast trains that only make stops at 13 stations between Seoul and Cheonan will operate mostly during rush hour with between train times of 30 to 60 minutes.

Six returns a day between Seoul and Cheonan stations and 24 returns a day between Yongsan and Cheonan stations taking 79 minutes from Seoul to Cheonan.

The first train leaves Seoul station at 6:25 a.m., Yongsan station at 5:25 a.m. and Cheonan station at 5:00 a.m.. The last train leaves Seoul station at 10:30 p.m., Yongsan at 10:36 p.m. and Cheonan station at 9:36 p.m..

The fare is 2,300 won from Seoul to Cheonan for every train.

The metropolitan subway will extend to Onyang Spa station, Chungnam at the end of next year.

Ki-Jin Lee doyoce@donga.com