Will the New Sinsago Station Solve Traffic Congestion in Eunpyeong? Key Insights on the Goyang-Eunpyeong Line

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[iNews24 reporter Hong Seong-hyo] Eunpyeong District said on the 20th that it is concentrating administrative resources to secure inclusion of a new Shinsagogae Station in the basic plan ahead of final approval of the Goyang–Eunpyeong regional rail line.

The Goyang–Eunpyeong line will connect Saejeol Station with Goyang City Hall; the metropolitan rail authority approved the project in December 2024. However, the basic plan only included stations in Gyeonggi Province, excluding Shinsagogae Station—which would serve Eunpyeong residents—and raising questions about fairness.

Since the Bongsan Tunnel opened at the end of 2017, traffic to and from Gyeonggi Province has surged around the Shinsadong area of Eunpyeong, putting increasing strain on the neighborhood.

Data confirm that change. According to Seoul’s traffic information system (TOPIS), average travel speed on the stretch from the Shinsa underpass to Shinsa Intersection during weekday morning rush hour fell from 31.8 km/h in February 2018 to 24.7 km/h in February 2026. The decline indicates steadily worsening congestion on that corridor.

The situation risks getting worse. Officials warn that traffic from the Changneung New Town development, combined with rising rail demand, could funnel passengers into a few hubs and create an unavoidable structural bottleneck.

Saejeol Station already serves Line 6 and is slated to provide direct connections with the Goyang–Eunpyeong line and the Western Line, making it a critical transfer hub. Observers say that if passengers from the Goyang–Eunpyeong line, the Western Line, and Line 6 converge with local demand from Shinsadonggogae, Saejeol will likely become a single-point bottleneck.

By contrast, adding Shinsagogae Station would disperse boarding and alighting demand across the Shinsadong area, relieve pressure on Saejeol, and enable the two stations to share functions for more efficient operations. In short, Shinsagogae would be a core piece of infrastructure that strengthens the overall stability and operational efficiency of the regional rail network—not merely an additional stop.

Despite that rationale, Shinsagogae Station remains excluded from the basic plan. The district has repeatedly pressed for the station since authorities announced traffic measures for Changneung New Town in 2019, framing it as an urgent local priority rather than a routine complaint. About 290,000 residents have signed petitions in support.

An Eunpyeong official said, “Building Shinsagogae Station is not just about adding one stop; it is an essential step to ensure operational stability across the regional rail line and to prevent a transportation crisis in northwest Seoul. We will work closely with relevant agencies through the final route decision later this year to make sure residents’ urgent concerns are reflected.”