The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on the 2nd that 213,000 people used high-speed trains on Sept. 1, the first day of integrated KTX-SRT operations. In particular, seats on trains departing from and arriving at Suseo—where seat shortages had been a major problem—rose by more than 30%, improving booking conditions.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) and Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) that day, 213,000 people used high-speed trains on the 1st, up 7.9% from the same day a year earlier. The total number of seats on high-speed trains operated that day was 253,000, a 6.3% increase from a year earlier.
In particular, passengers on high-speed trains departing from and arriving at Suseo—where the seat shortage relative to demand had been severe—numbered 64,000, up 9.1%. The number of seats supplied was 65,000, a 30.5% increase from a year earlier.
No accidents or disruptions occurred during high-speed train operations on the first day of integrated service.
KORAIL strengthened guidance to reduce passenger confusion caused by changes to train schedules and types under the integrated operation. It has deployed additional guidance staff at major stations and is expanding service information and alerts through the integrated app.
A KORAIL official said, "As trains previously operated as SRT have been integrated into KTX-Sancheon, it is difficult to distinguish destinations by train type alone," adding, "Passengers must check the train number and destination before boarding."
Meanwhile, train tickets for the Chuseok holiday period, with bookings starting Sept. 3, can be reserved only by KORAIL integrated members. Passengers must complete conversion to integrated membership in advance.