High-Speed Rail Becomes Part of Daily Life... 58 Million Passengers in First Half of Year

Current Status of Railway Usage in the First Half of the Year Announced by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
2.84 Million Foreign Passengers... Up 13% Year-on-Year

The number of high-speed rail passengers in the first half of this year reached 58.25 million, an increase of 1.6% compared to the same period last year. The introduction of faster new trains and the opening of new routes contributed to the rise in passenger numbers.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's announcement on July 14, the total number of passengers on the national trunk railway network (including both high-speed and conventional railways) was 85.09 million in the first half of the year, up 0.3% from the same period last year. While conventional rail services such as Mugunghwa and ITX-Maum saw a slight decrease to 26.84 million passengers, the overall number increased slightly due to the growth in high-speed rail usage.

For high-speed rail, KTX carried 45.44 million passengers and SRT carried 12.81 million passengers. SRT saw a 3.4% decrease compared to the same period last year, as weekend services were reduced due to an increase in maintenance schedules since December of last year. In contrast, KTX ridership increased by 3.2%.

Seoul Station KTX train. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

From the second half of last year through January of this year, six new railway lines opened, driving the increase in rail passengers. The addition of these six new lines marks the largest expansion in the past ten years. The new lines include the Seohae Line (Hongseong~Seohwaseong), Poseung-Pyeongtaek Line (Hongseong~Anjung~Pyeongtaek~Cheonan~Hongseong, circular train), Jungbunaeryuk Line (Chungju~Mungyeong), Jungang Line (Andong~Yeongcheon), Donghae Line (Pohang~Samcheok), and Gyoe Line (Uijeongbu~Daegok), all of which began operations during this period.

The Donghae Line (Bujeon~Gangneung) is regarded as a new transportation axis for the east coast region, which lacks a direct expressway. The cumulative number of passengers transported in the first half exceeded 990,000. Uljin Station surpassed a cumulative 100,000 passengers just six months after opening. The Jungang Line (Cheongnyangni~Bujeon), serving as the second Gyeongbu corridor connecting Seoul and Busan, transported approximately 980,000 passengers in the first half. In addition, the Daegyeong Line, the first metropolitan railway in a provincial area, has seen a cumulative total of 2.53 million passengers since its opening in December of last year.

The number of passengers using the new high-speed trains KTX-Eum and KTX-Cheongryong is also on the rise. KTX-Eum is scheduled to be newly introduced on the Donghae Line at the end of this year. Service on the Jungang Line will be expanded, and it is planned to be introduced on the Seohae Line next year. KTX-Cheongryong will be additionally introduced in 2026, with increased operations on the Gyeongbu and Honam Lines. KTX-Cheongryong, capable of speeds up to 320 km/h, has a much higher occupancy rate than existing high-speed trains, indicating that faster trains are more popular.

Passengers are boarding the Jeolla Line at SRT Suseo Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung aymsdream@

The number of foreign passengers in the first half of this year was 2.84 million, an increase of 13.4% compared to the same period last year. According to a Korail survey, foreign tourists who used the railway in Korea reported a satisfaction score of 93 out of 100, indicating a high level of satisfaction.

To reduce so-called 'no-shows'?passengers who reserve tickets but do not board?the refund fee was adjusted at the end of last year, which the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport analyzed as having helped improve seat availability. As of the analysis in May, the refund rate decreased by 0.9 to 2.7 percentage points, while the early return rate increased by 6.0 to 8.5 percentage points.

Yoon Jinhwan, Director General of the Railway Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, "As high-speed rail usage continues to increase and becomes an everyday means of transportation for the public, we will ensure the smooth implementation of the introduction of KTX-Eum on the Donghae Line at the end of this year, the expansion of Jungang Line operations, and the additional introduction of KTX-Cheongryong in 2027." He added, "We will strive to provide fast and safe railway services."