KTX and SRT will begin a pilot cross-operation sharing each other's routes ahead of their integration.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on the 24th that it would verify efficient and flexible operation of high-speed rail without distinguishing starting and ending stations such as Seoul Station and Suseo Station or train types, and stated accordingly.
The pilot cross-operation will start on the 25th. The target routes are Seoul⇔Busan and Suseo⇔Busan. Currently, only KTX operates on the Seoul⇔Busan route, but starting tomorrow SRT will also run on this route. Only SRT operates on Suseo⇔Busan, and starting tomorrow KTX will also operate on this route. There will be one round trip each per day.
An official at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) said, "Because there are 410 seats, it was hard to book on the Suseo⇔Busan SRT, but KTX-1 (955 seats), which has more than double the number of seats, will be deployed," adding, "Seat choices for Suseo Station users will broaden."
During the pilot cross-operation period, SRT trains departing Seoul will have fares on average 10% lower than existing KTX trains departing Seoul. KTX fares departing Suseo were aligned with the existing SRT departing Suseo. This measure took into account that SRT fares are lower than KTX.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) plans to maximize seat supply by improving fleet utilization efficiency based on the results of this pilot cross-operation and to establish an integrated train operation plan proven to be stable.