SRT Normal Operation from the 1st... Fare Discount Vouchers Provided

Discount Coupons for Train Passengers from 5 PM on the 30th to the 31st
17 Trains Still Under Repair, Substitute Trains Deployed

On the 27th, when the 2023 SRT Lunar New Year train ticket non-face-to-face reservation began, a notice for holiday train ticket reservations was displayed on the Suseo Station SRT electronic board in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Suseo High-Speed Railway (SRT), which experienced disruptions for two days due to a power outage on the overhead line at the Tongbok Tunnel in Pyeongtaek, has resumed normal operations as of the 1st.

SR, the operator of SRT, announced that from this day onward, all trains, including 80 trips on the Gyeongbu Line and 40 trips on the Honam Line, will operate normally.

However, due to the deployment of substitute trains, passengers who reserved tickets in advance may experience seat changes.

SR decided to provide delayed compensation and a 30% fare discount coupon to customers who used normal trains or booked trains that were suspended from 5 p.m. on the 30th through the 31st.

Separately from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s investigation, SR plans to independently identify the cause of the accident. Additionally, it will propose safety management measures regarding vehicle maintenance and facility management issues to related railway organizations.

SR stated, "We sincerely apologize to the public for the significant inconvenience caused by the prolonged train service disruption," adding, "The cause of the overhead line power outage is being thoroughly investigated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and we will not evade responsibility if any is found based on the investigation results."

At approximately 5:03 p.m. on the 30th of last month, an accident occurred in the Tongbok Tunnel section between Cheonan-Asan Station in Chungnam and Jije Station in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, where the overhead line was cut off, causing a sudden interruption in power supply.

Although power supply was restored after five hours, more than 150 trains, including KTX, were delayed on the day of the accident, and trains were unable to operate normally until the 31st.

Initial investigations suggest that during waterproofing defect repair work conducted in the Tongbok Tunnel, reinforcing material (nonwoven fabric) used in the process fell from the tunnel ceiling onto the overhead line, causing the power supply issue. It is presumed that pieces of the nonwoven fabric that fell onto the track were sucked into an SRT train passing through the site, causing vehicle malfunction.

Currently, more than half of the 32 SRT trains, specifically 17 main converters (equivalent to engines), are under repair.