경전선 반쪽 될라‥"순천-광주 복선화 절실" -R (260619금/뉴스데스크)

◀ Anchor ▶ The start of construction for the Gyeongjeon Line electrification project, which connects Busan to Gwangju via Suncheon, is being delayed due to issues regarding the undergrounding of the downtown area of ​​Suncheon. Amidst this, claims have been raised in academia that to properly connect the South Coast axis, the line must be constructed as a double track from the beginning, rather than a single track. Reporter Yoo Min-ho reports. ◀ Report ▶ The Gwangju-Suncheon section of the Gyeongjeon Line, where diesel locomotives run. A project to electrify this section is currently underway. Although it is designed to accommodate high-speed trains, the start of construction continues to be postponed due to a redesign of the section passing through downtown Suncheon. The Korea National Railroad Corporation is currently conducting the design, and it is reported that they are seriously considering a plan to bypass the city center by diverting the line from Boseong toward Sangsa and entering underground up to Suncheon Station. This is also because a new feasibility study is required as construction costs have increased by hundreds of billions of won. Amidst this, arguments have been raised within academia to proceed with the electrification project as a double track rather than a single track. The proposal aims to allow two approaching trains to travel simultaneously without waiting. [CG] Currently, the plan is to complete double-tracking from Busan Bujeon to Suncheon. There are concerns that if the section from Suncheon to Gwangju is connected via a single track, train delays will occur, resulting in a "half-baked" high-speed rail system. // ◀ SYNC ▶ Lee Sang-guk / Senior Research Fellow, Busan Institute "Trains have to stop at every station to allow passing, and if a train is coming from 10 minutes away, they have to pull over and wait. The one-way capacity of the high-speed rail section is 180 trains. However, if it is a single-track electrified line, it will only be about half that capacity." In particular, the importance of the Gyeongjeon Line, which passes through Busan, Gyeongnam, and the integrated Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City, is growing increasingly significant. It is highly likely that the cities of Yeosu, Suncheon, and Gwangyang will play a pivotal role as a connecting link between the Yeongnam and Honam regions. The explanation is that train operations must be increased through double-tracking to unify the southern economic zone and become a growth axis that counters the unipolar system of the Seoul metropolitan area. ◀ SYNC ▶ Hwang Seong-woong / Head of Inclusive City Research Division, Gwangju Institute "(Yeosu, Suncheon, and Gwangyang) must become the core regions of the southern economic zone, and to achieve this, double-tracking rather than single-tracking is necessary to ensure the constant movement of people and goods." However, there are also predictions that if the design is changed, project costs will increase and construction could be delayed by at least two to three years, leading to calls for a careful weighing of costs and benefits. Experts urged the government to actively consider a plan to inject a portion of the 20 trillion won in funding intended for the integrated special city. This is Yoo Min-ho from MBC News. ◀ END ▶