South Korea has launched a pilot program for cross-operation between KTX and SRT high-speed trains, as a first step toward integrating the country’s high-speed rail system.
The program, initiated by the Ministry of Transport together with operators Korail and SR, began on February 25 and involves the mutual circulation of trains from the two systems between the main stations in the capital Seoul.
Authorities say the test is part of the roadmap for integrating the high-speed network, presented last December.
KTX departs from Suseo, SRT from Seoul Station
Under the pilot program, KTX trains will run between Suseo Station and Busan, and SRT trains will operate between Seoul Station and Busan, each with one round trip per day.
Until now, the two systems were operated separately: The test aims to verify a more flexible operation of high-speed trains, regardless of the type of train or departure station.
- KTX trains mainly departed from Seoul Station;
- SRT trains departed from Suseo Station, another major station south of the capital.
The authorities estimate that this change will increase transport capacity, particularly at Suseo Station, where demand for tickets is very high.
More seats for passengers
The KTX-1 train with 955 seats will be introduced on the Suseo–Busan route, replacing the SRT trains, which have approximately 410 seats.
As a result, the number of seats available will increase significantly, which could reduce the booking difficulties frequently encountered during busy periods, such as weekends or holidays.
During the test period, fares will be adjusted to avoid confusion for passengers.
Thus, the KTX departing from Suseo will have the same fare as the SRT, and the SRT departing from Seoul Station will be on average about 10% cheaper than the KTX. However, KTX tickets sold at a reduced fare will not accumulate loyalty points.
Why are there two high-speed train systems?
For many international observers, the existence of two high-speed train systems in South Korea has always been unusual.
KTX, operated by the state-owned company Korail, is the country’s original high-speed train system, launched in 2004.
In 2016, SRT was introduced, operated by the company SR, which uses the same high-speed infrastructure but departs from a different station in Seoul – Suseo.
The model was designed to introduce a certain level of competition in high-speed rail transport. In practice, however, many experts have described the system as “pseudo-competition on the same infrastructure”, as the two services do not compete directly on the same routes and stations.
The separation of operators has also led to some inconveniences for passengers, such as different booking apps and limited service integration.
System integration
South Korean authorities believe that cross-operation is a first concrete step towards integrating the high-speed system.
Based on the results of the pilot program, the government intends to analyze: If these measures are successfully implemented, South Korea could gradually return to a more integrated high-speed train operating system after nearly a decade of operating the two separate services.
- the integration of reservation systems;
- the unification of passenger services;
- the harmonization of fares and loyalty programs.
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