New high-speed GTX train successfully begins its service

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New high-speed GTX train successfully begins its service

Published: 31 Mar. 2024, 17:31

LEE JAE-LIM
lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr

A woman taking a photo of the interior of the GTX-A train after boarding from Suseo Station on Sunday. [YONHAP]

The new high-speed Great Train Express (GTX) is proving to be popular from its opening day.

The Korean government’s lofty rail project aims to drastically cut the commute time between the outskirts of Seoul and the capital area.

A total of 18,949 passengers rode the GTX-A line on Saturday that connects Suseo station in southern Seoul to the Dongtan area of Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

That’s 12.9 percent higher than the average 16,788 passengers who board the train on weekends.

The line is three times faster than normal trains and takes only 20 minutes to go between Dongtan and Suseo Station, a distance which would normally take 90 minutes by bus. The fare from Dongtan to Suseo is 4,450 won ($3.31) .

The tally from the train's first day was compiled from data collected from the first train leaving from Dongtan Station at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday to the last train that pulled in at 1 a.m. on Sunday.

Dongtan station held the highest number of foot traffic, with 8,491 people boarding the train and 8,539 getting off. Forty-three percent of the total, or 8,143 people, transferred to another public transportation vehicle.

In age groups, 73.4 percent, or 13,901 passengers, were adults. Eight percent of the group, or 1,564 people, were adolescents aged between 13 and 18 and received a 10 percent discount on their fares. The number of elderly folks and children, who each receive 30 and 50 percent discount, were 7.7 and 7.5 percent of passengers.

On Sunday, the Second Vice Land Minister Baek Won-guk visited Dongtan, Seongnam and Suseo Station to inspect operations and hear passengers' feedback in person.

“Monday is the first weekday when many citizens will be using GTX-A for their commute,” he said. “Thus, we will strive to do our best in operation and management tasks, closely monitoring feedback and addressing any issues promptly.”

The Suseo to Dongtan route that began operations on Saturday marks the beginning of the inaugural GTX-A line, which will span 82.3 kilometers (51.14 miles) with 11 stations. The full completion of the line is targeted for 2028 and will eventually connect Unjeong Station in Paju, Gyeonggi to downtown Seoul hubs such as Seoul Station and Samseong Station before reaching Dongtan.

The project is the government’s solution to Seoul’s chronic traffic congestion.

The project, similar to international counterparts such as London’s Crossrail and Paris’s RER, cost 5.7 trillion won and began in 2016.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]