Gyeongju, South Korea – The Central Inland Railway Line, connecting Chungju and Mungyeong, officially opened on November 30th, significantly improving accessibility to the Seoul metropolitan area for residents of Gyeongbuk Province.

The opening ceremony, held at Mungyeong Station on November 27th, was attended by Gyeongbuk Governor Lee Cheol-woo, Second Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Baek Won-kuk, and other officials.

The newly opened 39.2-kilometer line, which required an investment of 1.3386 trillion won, connects Chungju Station and Mungyeong Station. This completes the entire 93.2-kilometer Central Inland Railway Line, connecting Icheon in Gyeonggi Province to Mungyeong. Construction began in November 2014 and was completed after 10 years.

The first train, a KTX-Ium, departed from Mungyeong at 6:25 AM on November 30th, heading towards Pangyo. Four round trips will operate daily.

With the completion of the Central Inland Railway Line, travel time between Mungyeong and Pangyo has been reduced to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Furthermore, ongoing railway projects such as the Suseo-Gwangju Line, Mungyeong-Gimcheon Line, and the Southern Inland Railway will connect Suseo to Geoje via Mungyeong, Sangju, and Gimcheon, creating a major north-south inland railway network.

Gyeongbuk Province is collaborating with the Korea Railroad Corporation and other relevant organizations to improve accessibility to the railway by adjusting bus routes and connecting the railway to major tourist attractions like Mungyeong Saejae.

Governor Lee Cheol-woo expressed his enthusiasm for the opening, stating that the completion of five railway lines in Gyeongbuk Province by the end of the year marks the beginning of a new era of railway transportation. He emphasized the province's commitment to leveraging the railway infrastructure to revitalize local economies, attract more residents, and address the challenges of depopulation.

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