Airport Railroad will sequentially introduce new train cars by the end of the year to alleviate congestion during commuting hours.
On September 12, Airport Railroad announced that starting from the 15th, it will deploy the first set (6 cars) out of a total of 9 new train sets (54 cars) for initial operation.
The new train cars will operate a total of four round trips during morning and evening rush hours, running twice in each direction between Incheon Airport Terminal 2 and Seoul Station. Beginning October 17, two additional train sets will be introduced, and the remaining six sets are scheduled to be deployed by the end of the year.
The maximum operating speed of the new train cars is 150 km/h, which is 40 km/h faster than the existing trains, making them semi-high-speed trains by design.
They are equipped with a system that monitors the status of major components in real time, and feature air purifiers and ultraviolet sterilizers to enhance passenger convenience. The width of the seats has been increased from 436 mm to 480 mm to provide more space, and safety has been improved with the installation of emergency broadcasting equipment and high-speed single-arm pantographs.
Currently, Airport Railroad experiences congestion rates of up to 190% during morning rush hours, especially at major transfer hubs such as Geomam, Gyeyang, and Gimpo Airport stations. Once all nine new train sets are in operation by the end of the year, the interval between trains on the Geomam to Seoul Station section is expected to decrease from six minutes to four minutes, and congestion rates are projected to ease to 142%.
Park Daesu, CEO of Airport Railroad, stated, "The first operation of the new train cars marks a starting point for elevating the service quality of Airport Railroad," adding, "We will reduce congestion and further enhance safety and convenience."
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