Incheon's Yeongjong-gu District (Mayor Son Hwa-jeong) said on the 19th that it has finished installing escalators at Exit 2 of Unseo Station on the Airport Railroad Express (AREX) line and has put the facility into full operation. Rail passengers and pedestrians who used to climb up and down steep stairs can now get in and out of the exit more easily and safely.
 [The Korean Today] Newly installed escalator at Exit 2 of Unseo Station © Reporter Kim Mi-hee |
The project cost a total of 1.5 billion won. The district installed two new escalators, one going up and one going down, in the underground passage at Exit 2 of Unseo Station.
The district chose the underground passage because many residents and tourists pass through the Unseo Station area. The project aims to make walking safer for people who use public transportation and to make it much easier for them to get around.
Unseo Station is close to Incheon International Airport and nearby hotels, and the number of passengers has kept rising as the surrounding area is developed and its commercial district expands. Using the stairs was hard for passengers carrying heavy luggage such as suitcases, and for people with limited mobility, including older adults and people with disabilities. The district expects the new escalators to solve these problems.
 [The Korean Today] Escalator installation site at Exit 2 of Unseo Station © Reporter Kim Mi-hee |
Ahead of the opening, Yeongjong-gu Mayor Son Hwa-jeong visited the site with officials on the 15th. Son rode the escalators herself to check the facility's condition and looked closely for anything that might make them hard to use.
"The installation of these escalators will greatly improve mobility for Unseo Station users," Mayor Son Hwa-jeong said. "By expanding everyday infrastructure that not only pedestrians with limited mobility but also tourists and residents can all feel the benefits of, we expect it to have a positive effect on revitalizing local businesses and the regional economy."
An escalator is a small facility, but it is basic everyday infrastructure that directly affects the mobility of people with limited mobility. Now that Unseo Station, a gateway to the area surrounding the airport, is easier to reach, attention is turning to whether the change will also benefit residents' daily travel, the number of visitors and local businesses.
[ Reporter Kim Mi-hee: incheonsouth@thekoreantoday.com ]
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