An offical briefs underground railroad development plan at Seoul City Hall in Jung District, Seoul, Oct. 23. Yonhap

The Seoul city government on Wednesday announced a plan to bury 94 percent of the capital's above-ground railway sections underground to create an extensive green space on the reclaimed land.

Currently, Seoul has 71.6 kilometers of above-ground railway sections in six lines that run through 15 of the city's autonomous administrative districts.

The city government said 67.6 km, or 94 percent, of the total and 39 stations affected by the project will get buried underground, possibly beginning in 2027.

The project is expected to create 1.22 million square meters of reclaimed land for parks and green spaces, it noted.

In addition, some of the affected stations, including Yeongdeungpo Station in southwestern Seoul, and Shinchon Station in western Seoul, will be developed into large-scale cultural and commercial complexes.

The city government explained that the railway burial project has been pushed to address a number of chronic issues, such as noise and vibration problems, disconnection from urban centers and aging of the surrounding areas.

In a successful pilot project, Seoul opened Gyeongui Line Forest Park, a 6.3-km linear public park located in the western ward of Mapo, after burying the line's defunct sections in 2016. Due to its popularity, the park is also dubbed "Yeontral Park."

The city government estimates the upcoming railway burial project will cost about 25.6 trillion won ($18.5 billion). (Yonhap)