GTX-A First Day Usage Hits 18,949... "Higher Than Predicted Demand"

On the first day of the opening of the Metropolitan Area Express Railway (GTX) Line A section from Suseo to Dongtan, the number of passengers reached approximately 19,000.

Interior view of the train on the Metropolitan Area Express Railway (GTX) Line A / Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the 31st, the cumulative number of passengers on the section on the day before the opening was counted at 18,949. This is 12.9% higher than the weekend average daily demand predicted by the ministry (16,788). A ministry official said, "Since yesterday was the first day of opening, it seems that many people came to try the ride or visit for leisure." The average weekday daily demand, when commuting crowds gather, is expected to be 21,522.

GTX-A trains started their first operation at 5:30 a.m. the previous day from Dongtan Station and Suseo Station, respectively, and the last train arrived at each station around 1 a.m. the next day. A total of 104 trips were operated. The interval between trains is 17 minutes during commuting hours and 20 minutes at other times. The stops are Suseo Station, Seongnam Station, and Dongtan Station, and Guseong Station (Yongin) is scheduled to open at the end of June. The fare starts at 3,200 KRW with an additional 250 KRW for every 5 km, making the fare from Suseo Station to Dongtan Station 4,450 KRW. On weekends, a 10% discount is applied, allowing use for 4,100 KRW.

Meanwhile, Park Sang-woo, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, commemorated the opening of GTX by boarding the first train with citizens at Dongtan Station at 5:30 a.m. the previous day. Minister Park said, "The era of 30-minute commuting has started with the first train," adding, "The transportation revolution has begun, reducing the Suseo to Dongtan section, which used to take more than 70 minutes, to just 20 minutes. Our lives will also change significantly."