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End of the line for confusing subway screens as Seoul Metro upgrades displays

Published: 06 May. 2025, 11:30

Passengers on a subway platform at Sindorim Station in Guro District, southern Seoul, on April 30. [NEWS1]

Seoul subway passengers will soon see train arrival and destination details displayed more frequently, both on board and on platform screens. The change comes in response to complaints that the current display intervals are too short, making it difficult for riders to identify their stop in time.

Seoul Metro, one of the operators of the city’s subway system, said Tuesday it will spend approximately 237 million won ($170,000) this year to improve arrival information displays on 634 new cars operating on Lines 2 through 4.

The upgrades will be completed by June for Lines 2 and 3 and by December for Line 4.

The project will modify onboard passenger information displays to show the next station at the top of the screen at all times, regardless of the content being shown.

Currently, the screens rotate between different types of information such as route maps, congestion levels, transfer options, door opening sides and whether the door is opened or closed. With the change, the top section of the screen will consistently display the upcoming stop.

The next-station display appears for less than a minute, making it difficult for passengers to confirm their stop in crowded conditions.

By the end of last year, Seoul Metro had already applied this update to 550 new cars on Lines 2, 5 and 7.

New subway cars to be introduced in the future will come equipped with the updated display system from the outset.

The information screens located on platforms and in concourses of stations on Lines 2 through 8 will also be restructured to prioritize real-time train arrival data, including current location and final destination.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]