Seoul Subway Line 2, also known as the Circle Line, is a circular line of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. The line running clockwise is called the "inner circle line" and the counter-clockwise line is called the "outer circle line". This is Seoul's most heavily used line, and consists of the main loop, the Seongsu Branch and the Sinjeong Branch for a total line length of 60.2 km. The Line 2 loop is the second longest subway loop in the world after Beijing SubwayLine 10. Headways on the line vary from 2 minutes 18 seconds on peak periods and 5–6 minutes off-peak periods. The line connects the city centre to Gangnam, Teheran Valley and the COEX/KWTC complex.
History
Line 2 was built in 1978–84 together with the Seongsu Branch. Dangsan bridge was closed for reconstruction in 1996 and reopened November 22, 1999. The old steel girder bridge was replaced by a long concrete bridge between Dangsan on the southern side of the river and Hapjeong on the northern bank. Yongdu station on the Seongsu Branch is the first station in the Seoul Subway system with operating platform screen doors. As of 2008 platform screen doors are operating at all stations along Line 2. New rolling stock has also progressively came on line, replacing older vehicles.
October 31, 1980: Sinseol-dong – Sports Complex section opened
December 23, 1982: Sports Complex – Seoul Nat'l Univ. of Education section opened
September 16, 1983: Euljiro 1-ga – Seongsu section opened; Sinseol-dong – Seongsu section separated as Seongsu Branch
December 17, 1983: Seoul Nat'l Univ. of Education – Seoul Nat'l University section opened
May 22, 1984: Seoul Nat'l University – Euljiro 1-ga section opened; Circle Line completed
May 22, 1992: Sindorim – Yangcheon-gu Office section opened as Sinjeong Branch
February 29, 1996: Sinjeongnegeori Station opened as extension of Sinjeong Branch
March 20, 1996: Kkachisan Station opened as extension of Sinjeong Branch
October 20, 2005: Yongdu Station opened on the Seongsu Branch
Facilities
In December 2010 the line is recorded as having the highest WiFi data consumption in the Seoul Metropolitan area. It averaged 2.56 times more than the other 14 subway lines fitted with WiFi service zones. In 2011, retailer Home plus opened the world's first virtual supermarket at Seolleung station, where smartphone users can photograph the bar code of life-size pictures, on the walls and platform screen doors, of 500 items of food, toiletries, electronics etc., for delivery within the same day.
Stations
Main Line
Seongsu Branch
Sinjeong Branch
Extension
There is a possible extension currently in the conception stage to extend the Sinjeong Branch to 3.7 km to Gayang Stationon Line 9. The path would include a new station named Gangseo-gu Office in between Kkachisan and Gayang.
