City Bus Peak-Hour Operations Extended by One Hour
Railway Workers' Union Announces Strike Starting at 9 a.m. on the 23rd
The Seoul Metropolitan Government will increase the number of commuter trains operated by Korail in preparation for the nationwide railway workers' union strike.
On December 22, the city announced that it would implement an extensive emergency transportation plan. The railway workers' union has announced a strike starting at 9 a.m. on December 23.
With the Korail strike expected to reduce the operation rate of metropolitan commuter trains in the Seoul metropolitan area, the number of subway passengers is anticipated to surge. To prepare for any contingencies, five subway trains will be placed on emergency standby.
In addition, train services on Lines 1, 3, and 4, which are operated by Korail, will be increased by 18 runs. The sections where Seoul Metro will provide additional services are: Seoul Station to Cheongnyangni on Line 1, Gupabal to Ogeum on Line 3, and Danggogae to Sadang on Line 4. With these additional runs, it is expected that an extra 36,000 passengers can be transported daily.
All lines operated by Seoul Metro (Lines 1 to 8), as well as the privately operated Line 9, the Sillim Line, and the Ui-Sinseol Line, will continue to operate normally.
For city buses, the peak-hour intervals for 344 regular routes will be extended by one hour each for both morning and evening commutes. The operating hours for customized commuter buses and companion buses will also be extended by one additional hour.
Yeo Jangkwon, Director of Transportation at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, stated, "We will do our utmost to minimize inconvenience to citizens until the strike ends. We hope that an agreement between labor and management will be reached swiftly with citizens' interests as the top priority, and we ask all citizens to actively cooperate in maintaining order in the subway system."
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