Line 5

Construction on Line 5 started in 1990. It was the first line of the SMRT (Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation), which was established in 1994 to operate lines 5-8. It is an important east-west link connecting Gimpo Airport, the Yeouido business area, downtown Seoul, and the residential districts in Gangdong. Its color is purple.

The line opened on November 15, 1995, with service from Wangsimni to Sangil-dong.

The opening of the Macheon Branchh on March 30, 1996.

The rest of the line was gradually opened in sections until 1996:

March 20, 1996: Banghwa to Kkachisan
March 30, 1996: The Macheon Branch opens, with a split at Gangdong Station to Macheon.
August 12, 1996: Kkachisan to Yeouido
December 30, 1996: Yeouido to Wangsimni

On June 20, 2009, Magok Station opened between Balsan and Songjeong.

Misa and Hanam Pungsan, two stations on the newly built Hanam Line, opened on August 8, 2020, completing the current Line 5.

Note: This map does not show the Hanam Line.

From https://www.airport.co.kr/gimpoeng/content/contents.do?cid=2016010811261164820&menuId=1835

All stations on the line feature screen doors.

All westbound trains terminate at Banghwa. Eastbound trains terminate at either Sangil-dong and Macheon, splitting off at Gangdong.

The current line is 56.9 km (35.4 mi) long, running entirely underground. At the time of its opening, it was the longest underground railway tunnel of any kind constructed in the world. Today, it ranks fourth, behind Line 3 of the Guangzhou Metro and Lines 3 and 10 of the Beijing Subway.

It is one of only two lines in the entire system (the other being the Suin-Bundang Line) to cross under the Han River. Line 5 crosses at two points, at Mapo-Yeouinaru and Gwangnaru-Cheonho.

This line, along with Line 7, have some of the most severe sound issues in the entire system. Line 5 in particular is worse off than Line 7 due to several reasons:

-The inverter powering the trains itself, a ABB VVVF-GTO unit, was not built for subway trains. It's built for larger regional or commuter trains. So, the frequency and ambiance of the sound is much higher than purpose-built metro units.

-The tunnels in Line 5 are very tight, not leaving much room for sound to dissipate. This is only augmented by the fact that Line 5 is completely underground. Line 7 is aboveground in some sections and the tunnels are wider.

All track on this line is on the right-hand side.

There are two depots at Banghwa and Godeok.

Current LCD announcements for the line, from Macheon to Banghwa.