Collecting Citizens' Opinions on Policy Voting Website
Line 9 Congestion Reaches 199%...Double Capacity
Considering Removal of Chairs and 'Folding Chairs'
Seoul Subway Line 9 is also considering the introduction of 'seats-free cars' to reduce congestion inside trains. During busy commuting hours, the introduction of 'folding seats' that can be folded up and unfolded as needed has also been proposed.
On the 12th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is gathering public opinions on the introduction of space-expanding trains such as 'seats-free cars' to alleviate congestion on Line 9 through the policy voting platform 'M Voting.' This idea was proposed by Seoul Metro Line 9, and it is planned to be introduced in 2 out of the 6 cars on Line 9.
On Monday, the first Monday after the opening of the third phase of Seoul Subway Line 9, the platform at Seokchon Station, a transfer station between Subway Lines 8 and 9 in Songpa-gu, Seoul, was crowded with passengers. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
This measure was devised because the congestion level on Line 9 ranks among the highest in Seoul. The maximum congestion rate on the Line 9 express route reaches 199%, nearly double the train's capacity. Although the city increased the number of new trains from March this year to ease congestion on Line 9, it appears that additional measures are deemed necessary.
The proposals on the platform include three options: ▲removal of all seats except those for the mobility-impaired ▲removal of seats in the middle section of the train (about 60%) ▲changing the middle seats to folding seats. In addition, options such as 'maintaining the current system' are also presented to gather citizens' opinions. As of the previous day, a total of 394 opinions were collected, with 62.9% (248 people) in favor. Opposition accounted for 34.0% (134 people), and 3.1% (12 people) responded with 'don't know.' The Seoul Metropolitan Government estimates that removing 60% of the seats in 2 train cars will cost about 330 million KRW.
Previously, pilot operations of seats-free cars have been underway on Seoul Subway Lines 4 and 7 since January and May of this year, respectively. As of the third quarter of 2023, the maximum congestion rates for cars on Lines 4 and 7 reached 193% and 164%, respectively. It is analyzed that congestion and the perceived discomfort have improved compared to before with the operation of seats-free cars. According to Seoul Metro, monitoring of the seats-free cars on Line 4 in April showed that the standing area per person increased from 0.3㎡ before removal to 0.47㎡ after removal, an increase of 0.17㎡. Train congestion is estimated to have decreased by 12 percentage points.
However, the effectiveness of folding seats remains unclear. Folding seats inside trains are operated overseas in countries such as the United States, Japan, and Singapore, and were also introduced domestically in the 2000s. However, due to frequent malfunctions and other reasons, they were soon replaced with fixed seats. A city official explained, "This is an additional proposal added by the city by referring to overseas cases to broaden the options," adding, "(Folding seats) are the third option, and the main agenda is to remove the middle seats."
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