page_title: U Line
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: U Line / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Uijeongbu light rail
context_page_description: The U Line is a driverless, fully automatic, grade-separated light rail or light metro line in Uijeongbu, Seoul Capital Area, South Korea. The "U" stands for the city Uijeongbu. The line uses Véhicule Automatique Léger 208 trains built by Siemens Transportation Systems. The system is very similar to the Toulouse Metro, Lille Metro and Rennes Metro in France.
  The line is 11.2 km long on elevated track and offers a transfer to Line 1 at Hoeryong Station. Single rides cost 1,550 won. During rush hours trains come every 3 and a half minutes with trains coming every 6 to 10 minutes during all other hours. Trains are in service 19.5 hours a day, from 5 am until 12:30 am. From Balgok Station to Tapseok Station, the U Line will take riders 19 minutes and 54 seconds, versus a car, at 31 minutes 6 seconds, or a public bus, taking 40 minutes and 6 seconds. Two extensions are planned.
  After four and a half years of operating at a continual loss, a debt of 240 billion won prompted board members of the Uijeongbu Light Rail Transit Company to file for bankruptcy in late 2016. If the Seoul Central District Court agrees to the filing then operation reverts to the city government.
context_section_description: 1995 December – Initial planning
  2004 August – GS Construction Consortium is picked
  2005 October – Operating company is established
  2007 July – Construction groundbreaking ceremony
  2007 August – Full construction begins
  2011 Summer – All track has been laid
  2011 Fall – Signal work completion
  2012 February to June- Testing of system
  2012 June 29–30 – Free rides prior to official opening 
  2012 July 1 – Revenue service begins
  2014 December 6 – Joins metropolitan unity fare allowing transfers to other lines and buses. Fares start from 1,350, with a flat 300 won extra charge if transferring from Line 1.
caption: VAL network map
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