High-speed commuter trains to connect Daegu, Uiseong

[Courtesy of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport]

The Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport, slated to open in 2030, is set to benefit from the introduction of Great Train eXpress (GTX), a higher-speed commuter rail network with a top speed of 180 kilometers per hour, significantly reducing travel time from Daegu to Uiseong in North Gyeongsang Province.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on Thursday that it has submitted a preliminary feasibility study to the Ministry of Economy and Finance for the introduction of GTX trains to the high-speed railway project connecting to the New Airport.

The move follows the government’s pledge during a public hearing on transportation issues held in January to introduce the regional high-speed railway (x-TX), marking the first subsequent measure.

The Daegu-Gyeongbuk High-Speed Railway will connect Daegu City to the New Airport and Uiseong County, covering a distance of 66.8 km with double-track railway lines.

The total project cost is estimated at 2.04 trillion won ($1.53 billion). This marks the first project to introduce GTX-level trains with a top speed of 180 km/h into the state-funded regional high-speed railway.

Once operational, the travel time from Daegu to the New Airport is expected to be within 30 minutes, offering a substantial improvement over the current travel times of 1 hour and 30 minutes by train and 1 hour and 10 minutes by car.