During Rush Hour, Two Cars on Subway Lines 4 and 7 Will Have No Seats

Seoul Metro's Measures to Alleviate Congestion

Seoul Metro announced on the 1st that it will launch a pilot project next January to remove seats from two train cars on subway lines 4 and 7 during rush hours to alleviate subway congestion.

The corporation explained that it plans to prioritize cars with high congestion during rush hours and fewer important components under the seats by comprehensively reviewing line conditions and the interior environment.

According to the corporation, the maximum congestion rates for one car on lines 4 and 7 (as of the third quarter of 2023) are 193.4% and 164.2%, respectively. Congestion rate is a figure that indicates how many people are on the train, calculated by dividing the actual number of passengers by the seating capacity. Through the pilot project removing seats, the maximum congestion rates per car on lines 4 and 7 are expected to decrease to 153.4% and 130.1%, respectively.

Additionally, to fundamentally resolve subway congestion, Seoul Metro plans to introduce 30 additional cars across 3 trainsets on line 4 and 8 additional cars in 1 trainset on line 7 in the long term. When ordering the replacement of aging electric trains, the corporation intends to expedite the introduction schedule and improve cost efficiency by pursuing integrated orders or contract modifications.

Baek Ho, President of Seoul Metro, stated, "The corporation is making various efforts to reduce subway congestion, including increasing train frequency during rush hours and hiring congestion safety assistants at major stations. If the pilot project proves effective, we will expand the project so that citizens can use the subway more comfortably and safely."