Commute time in Seoul reduced by half… ‘Enjoy leisure time in the morning and evening’
“I didn’t know that just connecting the railway would make it so convenient.”
Residents of Unjeong Town in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, who benefited the most from the opening of the GTX-A route between Seoul Station and Unjeong Jungang Station on the 28th of last month, cannot hide their smiles at the change in their lives.
Citizens who are feeling the effects two weeks after the line opened are the first to talk about ‘the convenience of commuting.’
Youngmin Lee (44, Unjeong 3-dong) departed from Hanbit Village, where he lives, to Unjeong Jungang Station at 7:50 a.m., took the GTX train at 8:10 a.m., arrived at Seoul Station at 8:32 a.m., then transferred and took 40 minutes to Gwanghwamun, Seoul, where he works. If so, it has arrived. Previously, if you left home a little after 7 a.m. and used the Gyeongui Line, it took 1 hour and 20 minutes, but after the opening of GTX, it was shortened by 30 minutes.
Mr. Lee said, “As my commute time in the morning has decreased, I have become more relaxed to the point where I can now eat breakfast, which I used to skip often.”
As commuting time has been reduced, the range of travel options has increased as the transportation methods have been diversified from the existing Gyeongui-Jungang Line and metropolitan buses to the GTX route. In cold weather like these days, you can take the GTX to Seoul Station using the nearby subway station even if you don’t have to wait in a long line for the bus during rush hour.
In fact, since the opening of the GTX-A line, the number of passengers using the Gyeongui-Jungang Line has decreased noticeably. It is reported that the number of people using Unjeong Station and Yadang Station on the Gyeongui-Jungang Line on weekdays, which used to be about 8,000 to 9,000, has decreased by about 1,000 (about 15%). A Paju City official said, “Unlike when the Suseo-Dongtan section of the same GTX-A line was opened, the section between Seoul Station and Unjeong Jungang Station is closed. “The effect of opening GTX is bound to be greater due to the severe lack of bus routes connected to Seoul,” he said. “The actual commuting time is about 30 minutes.” He said, “There are fewer complaints about the relatively expensive GTX fee as it is shortened.”
Another effect of the opening of GTX-A Seoul Station ~ Unjeong Jungang Station is that Unjeong City, which had poor accessibility to Seoul, has been incorporated into the Seoul living area in earnest. Accordingly, some residents are saying, “GTX saved a city.”
Office worker Yoon Jeong-sik (34, Opposition-dong) said, “Before, if I had a dinner party in Seoul, I would not attend because I felt burdened by the agency fee of about 60,000 won to Unjeong.” “He said.
Shin Eun-ji (18, Unjeong 1-dong) also said, “I gathered with my friends in the central shopping district of Unjeong or nearby Ilsan on the weekend and decided to meet in Hongdae (Seoul) the next time.” “He said.
As residents have more free time due to reduced commuting time, even depressed local shopping centers are gradually becoming more active.
Residents’ return home from work often exceeded 8 p.m., but when using GTX, they were able to return home before 7 p.m., giving them more time to eat with their families, and the number of family customers increased at local restaurants.
Also, since the beginning of this month, there has been an increasing number of calls, especially from young people, asking about registering for a local foreign language academy or fitness center for self-development.
An official from a shopping district association in Unjeong said, “At first, we were worried about a contraction of the commercial area due to the opening of GTX, but it is fortunate that the number of dinner customers, mainly office workers, has gradually increased.” He said.
Lee Seung-cheol, president of the Unjeong City Association, also explained, “Citizens’ satisfaction is high because they can have a leisurely morning and evening together, which was not possible before.”
Chairman Lee said, “After the opening of GTX, congestion on the Gyeongui-Jungang Line and metropolitan buses has decreased, and road congestion on the 2nd Jayu Road has also been improved to a certain extent, so there is a positive effect on the overall vehicle flow.” However, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport initially “It is very unfortunate that the planned 6-minute interval between GTX Unjeong Jungang Station and Seoul Station during rush hour was increased to 10 minutes just before opening,” he said.
Chairman Lee said, “Residents are looking forward to the 6-minute dispatch time within the first quarter of this year, which was originally promised by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.”
(Paju = News 1)
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