Second day of heavy snowfall brings transit troubles and road closures in Seoul

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Second day of heavy snowfall brings transit troubles and road closures in Seoul

Published: 28 Nov. 2024, 10:05 Updated: 28 Nov. 2024, 11:22

People navigate snow-covered roads in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Thursday morning. [YONHAP]

With a second day of heavy snowfall in Seoul, commuters faced delays on subways and buses Tuesday, while fallen trees blocked some roads.

Seoul Subway Line 1 and the Suin-Bundang Line experienced delays as of 8 a.m. Thursday, according to Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail). The disruptions were attributed to efforts to clear snow and debris, including fallen branches, from the tracks, while some trains encountered power supply issues, further delaying their departures.

“I had to walk 20 minutes to a station 2.5 kilometers from my home because the bus wasn’t arriving on time,” said 53-year-old office worker surnamed Shin, who commutes from Suwon City Hall Station in Suwon, Gyeonggi, to Bundang, Gyeonggi. “Even though I left home early after receiving a flood of safety alerts, it’s clear I’ll still be 10 to 20 minutes late.”

A 45-year-old commuter surnamed Choi missed their train and then had to wait for the next one because the first was already packed. “It’s usually not this crowded at this time, but today it’s overflowing with passengers.”

A 59-year-old worker surnamed Lee and a 16-year-old high school student surnamed Choi also expressed frustration over the railroad delays. “It’s frustrating that the trains were delayed last night and are still delayed today,” said Lee.

Korail plans to run additional services: six extra trains on Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line 1, two on the Gyeongui-Jungang Line and one each on the Gyeongchun Line and the Gyeonggang Line.

Bus stops were also crowded with commuters.

“I’ve been waiting for over 10 minutes because the bus is delayed,” said 32-year-old Jeon Sung-ah. “It was already challenging to walk 10 minutes from my house to the bus stop, as the roads were covered in heavy snow.”

The heavy snow also led to partial road closures in Seoul as of 7 a.m. Thursday, with access restricted in six areas, including Heukseok-ro in Dongjak District and the Bukhan trail in Jongno District, central Seoul. Authorities are working to clear fallen trees blocking streets.

Heavy snow warnings remain in effect across all areas of Seoul as of Wednesday. With continuous snowfall since Tuesday, snow accumulations have reached up to 40 centimeters (15.7 inches) in some parts of the city.

BY WOO JI-WON [[email protected]]