A 40-something office worker surnamed B, met at Suseo Station in Gangnam District, Seoul, on the morning of the 1st, said this. Starting this day, KTX and SRT began integrated operations following the integration of the operating entities of Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) and SR Co. It is the first time in 10 years since SRT service began in 2016.
On the first day of integration, 500 pieces of rice cake were handed out to passengers at Suseo Station. A shop operator in the station said, "We received rice cakes in the morning," and noted, "There was a celebratory mood for the integration."
◇ At Suseo Station, SRT increases from one train to two… seat crunch eases
The first change passengers felt was with tickets. A person surnamed A, who travels from Daejeon to Seoul on business every week, said, "Competition for SRT reservations was so fierce that you had to book at least two weeks in advance," and added, "Today I booked yesterday and still found empty seats."
Until now, SRT trains departing from and arriving at Suseo Station often ran in single sets (10 cars, 410 seats) due to a shortage of trains. On weekends or holidays, you had to book as early as a month in advance to get a seat. Going forward, as KORAIL trains are deployed and "coupled operations" that link two sets become full scale, the number of seats supplied per run can increase from 410 to 820 without adding extra trains.
Total daily seat supply will also increase. After integration, the number of high-speed rail runs will rise from a weekday daily average of 379 to 402, and from 431 to 457 on weekends. Accordingly, seats will increase by 15,000 per weekday and 17,000 per weekend day. The additional seats will be concentrated on the Suseo corridor, where demand has been high, expanding Suseo-originating seat supply by about 30%.
The reason run frequency can increase is that the high-speed rail operating systems previously run separately by KORAIL and SR have been integrated, allowing more flexible use of trains. Previously, KTX and SRT mainly operated on their respective fixed routes, but after integration, trains can be deployed in linked segments such as Seoul Station → Busan Station → Suseo Station → Pohang Station → Seoul Station. KORAIL also expects the rolling stock utilization rate—the ratio of trains actually put into revenue service—to rise.
Increasing Suseo-originating seats does not mean reducing Seoul Station services. The overall number of runs will be increased, and the additional services will be allocated to the high-demand Suseo corridor.
The reservation channel has also been consolidated. Starting this day, the integrated application "KORAIL+" allows users to search and book KTX and SRT at once. To reduce user confusion, some booking functions of the KORAIL Talk and SRT apps will be maintained for the time being.
There are also fare benefits. Trains departing from or arriving at Suseo Station can now earn mileage equal to 5% of the payment amount. KTX fares will be cut by 10% for three years to match SRT levels.
◇ "Integration commemorative cards" draw a line of "rail buffs"… concerns about fare hikes, too
A total of 901 sets of integrated high-speed rail commemorative cards marking the first day of integration were sold in limited quantities at six locations, including Seoul, Suseo, Daejeon, Dongdaegu, Busan and Gwangju Songjeong stations. A line formed at Seoul Station from 4 a.m., and, according to KORAIL, most stations sold out around 11 a.m.
Shin Ji-hwan, 11, who came from Siheung, Gyeonggi, introduced himself as a "rail buff" and said, "I came to buy it because they said it's a card with a design showing SRT and KTX trains connected that we'll never see again."
But not everyone is simply welcoming the integration. With the competitive structure between KORAIL and SR gone, there are concerns that fares or service burdens could increase in the long run. B, who travels between Seoul and Sejong, said, "The fare cut is only for three years, after all," and added, "Problems that occurred when KORAIL operated alone in the past could be repeated."
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it will manage customer satisfaction, on-time performance, booking convenience and guidance systems after integration and reflect voice of customer (VOC) feedback in operations.
◇ "Integration of operating entities" has begun, but… issues with subsidiaries and wages remain
Labor unions call this integration "half-baked." They say that while KTX and SRT systems and operations have been combined, issues such as subsidiaries and outsourcing remain unresolved.
The KORAIL Tourism Development union held a press conference at Seoul Station this day, arguing that KORAIL should take direct responsibility for the safety duties of KTX attendants. Currently, each high-speed rail train has one train team leader from KORAIL and one to two train attendants from the subsidiary KORAIL Tourism Development onboard.
Yu Mi-jung, senior deputy head of the KORAIL Tourism Development branch, said, "Train team leaders have authority over safety duties, but KTX attendants remain in a supporting role," and pointed out, "While attendants are required to take emergency measures and bear legal responsibility, their practical authority over safety duties is restricted."
Wage and rank structures have not yet been decided. A KORAIL official said, "Integration is not fully complete yet, so wages are the same," and added, "It is also undecided when they will be finalized."