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Transport Ministry announces integration of KTX, SRT networks at Suseo, Seoul stations

Published: 08 Dec. 2025, 17:28 Updated: 08 Dec. 2025, 18:02

The photo shows a Super Rapid Train waiting to depart Suseo Station in southern Seoul on Dec. 8. [NEWS1]

Travelers will be able to board KTX trains at Suseo Station in southern Seoul, and the Super Rapid Train (SRT) network will be accessible at Seoul Station in central Seoul, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on Monday.

The move acts as the first phase of the government's plans to merge Korea's divided high-speed rail networks by the end of 2026.

The government will begin by deploying KTX-1 trains at Suseo Station and running KTX and SRT services on a trial basis from both Seoul Station and Suseo Station in March 2026.

The ministry designed the plan to address a chronic shortage of SRT seats at Suseo Station, with passengers often having to reserve tickets a month in advance.

“We cannot solve the imbalance between supply and demand right away, but the number of seats departing from Suseo Station will increase,” said Yoon Jin-hwan, the director general of the transport ministry’s rail bureau.

A Super Rapid Train bound for Suseo and a KTX train wait to depart on the platform at Pohang Station in North Gyeongsang on Sept. 3, 2023. [NEWS1]

The KTX-1 trains assigned to Suseo Station will have 20 cars and 955 seats, roughly double the 410 seats on a 10-car SRT. But the shift will not increase the total capacity, as the government plans to move existing KTX trains from Seoul Station to Suseo rather than add new trains.

The government will then connect KTX-Sancheon and SRT railways in June 2026. The ministry aims to improve fleet utilization metrics through this approach: With KTX services between Seoul and Busan operating more efficiently — meaning more trips per day — more passengers will be able to ride the trains.

The Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail), KTX's operator, estimates that a longer daily operating distance could add about 16,000 potential seats per day, or an increase of around 6 percent from the current supply of 255,000 seats across KTX and SRT services. The ministry said it must review safety assessments before confirming final seat projections.

The government will also merge ticket and reservation systems by mid-2026, as well as fare systems, membership programs and mileage policies by the end of next year.

While travelers must currently reserve KTX tickets on Korail's app and SRT tickets on SRT operator SR's app, they will be able to reserve and pay for KTX and SRT tickets through a single app.

The photo shows a Super Rapid Train waiting to depart Suseo Station in southern Seoul on Dec. 8. [YONHAP]

The government has not yet finalized postintegration rail fares. Korail estimates it could save 40.5 billion won ($28 million) annually by removing overlapping operations after the merger with SR, and the ministry said it is reviewing a possible 10 percent cut in KTX fares.

KTX fares remain frozen for a 14th year. Despite receiving about 400 billion won per year in public service obligation compensation from the government, Korail records operating losses of roughly 100 billion won annually.

SRT fares, which SR uses on profitable routes, have also stayed frozen for a decade, and SR’s operating profit fell from more than 50 billion won in its early years to 13.8 billion won last year.

“Inflation has created significant pressure to raise fares, but integrating the two operators may ease that burden,” Yoon said. “We also need clearer projections on how much seat capacity will increase before we can determine final pricing.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG EUN-HYE [[email protected]]