"Increase KTX Honam Line Services" Gwangju Mayor and Five District Heads Make Resolution

Only One Extra Train Added to Honam Line on Weekends, Compared to 21 on Gyeongbu Line
Significant Gaps in Peak Hour Operations and Train Allocations
Gwangju City: "Increase Seat Supply and Deploy Latest Trains"

Gwangju Mayor Kang Gijung and the heads of the five district offices have strongly demanded an increase in KTX Honam Line services. On September 23, they held a rally in front of Gwangju Songjeong Station, arguing that there is severe discrimination in the number of train operations and train allocations compared to the Gyeongbu Line.

Gwangju Songjeong Station exterior. Provided by Korea Rail Network Authority

Mayor Kang and the district heads stated, "The KTX Honam Line became a symbol of regional discrimination as it opened in 2015, a full 11 years later than the Gyeongbu Line," and added, "There is also a stark difference in the number of train operations during weekends and peak hours between the Yeongho and Honam regions, despite high demand."

While the Honam Line adds only one extra train on weekends compared to weekdays, the Gyeongbu Line increases by 21, resulting in a 20-fold difference. Even during peak hours, when passenger demand is high, the Honam Line operates 13 times on both weekdays and weekends, whereas the Gyeongbu Line runs 27 times on weekdays and 31 times on weekends.

They also pointed out a significant disparity in train composition. More than 80% of trains on the Gyeongbu Line are KTX-1 models with 955 seats, while nearly half of the trains on the Honam Line are KTX-Sancheon models with 379 seats. The newest train, KTX Cheongryong, is deployed on the Gyeongbu Line with two trains on weekdays and four on weekends, but on the Honam Line, only one operates on weekdays and none on weekends.

The Gwangju city government urged, "During weekends, peak hours, and holidays, the number of seats should be increased by coupling two KTX-1 or KTX-Sancheon trains with larger seating capacity." They also called for the replacement of Seodaejeon-bound trains with Honam High-Speed Line trains, and for maximizing the Honam Line's track capacity and deploying the latest trains once the double-tracking of the Pyeongtaek-Osong section is completed.