South Korea to integrate high-speed rail services on September 1

Starting September 1, the integration of high-speed rail services between Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) and SR will lead to an increase in daily train operations and seat availability. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Korail, and SR are implementing measures to enhance safety and service efficiency during this transition.

Daily operations are expected to increase by up to 26 trips on weekends, adding approximately 17,000 seats. Specifically, the Honam Line will see an increase of 12 trips on weekdays and 10 on weekends, while the Jeolla Line will see additional daily services. The expansion includes more trains heading to Suseo, improving accessibility to the southeastern metropolitan area.

To ensure safety, authorities are conducting intensive training for engineers to certify them for new routes and vehicle types. A joint task force has been established to monitor the initial integration phase, and officials will conduct on-site inspections of stations and control centers to manage potential operational issues.