Seoul metropolitan public transportation capacity expansions

Authorities in the Seoul metropolitan area are implementing measures to increase public transportation capacity and reduce congestion.

On October 16, the Seoul Metropolitan Government began adjusting the service ratio on Subway Line 9. During morning rush hours, the ratio of express to local trains will shift from one-to-one to two-to-one. This optimization aims to increase morning train operations by eight trips and reduce peak congestion by approximately 20 percentage points. The city is also piloting four express bus routes connecting residential areas to downtown hubs like City Hall and Yeongdeungpo to reduce travel times.

Following these developments, the Airport Railroad announced it will increase daily express train services between Incheon International Airport and Seoul Station from 52 to 56, effective October 23. These four additional runs will target peak hours between 11:00 AM and 6:00 PM to address high occupancy rates, which reached 98.7% during certain time slots in September. The expansion is intended to provide 960 additional seats per day and improve connectivity for international visitors.