South Korea is taking a decisive step towards reunifying its high-speed rail system. The competition authority has approved the merger between the state-owned operators KORAIL and SR, after nearly a decade in which KTX and SRT trains have operated separately. The integration will also bring a 10 per cent reduction in fares on current KTX routes and over 17,000 additional seats at weekends.
South Korea is putting an end to the structure of two separate operators for high-speed trains, after the South Korean competition authority approved the merger between Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), the state-owned national rail operator, and SR, the company operating the SRT services.
The decision paves the way for the country’s first integrated high-speed system, bringing KTX and SRT trains under a single structure.
The integration of the two companies is scheduled to be completed in September.
The competition authority concluded that the merger does not pose a significant risk of reducing competition, given that fares, train timetables and the main elements of the services are already heavily regulated by the state.
Significant changes to fares, train frequencies, capacity or service standards require the approval of the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
KTX fares to fall by 10%
One of the most significant consequences for passengers will be a 10% reduction in fares on current KTX routes, bringing them in line with the prices currently charged by SRT.
KORAIL has also committed to introducing over 17,000 additional seats at weekends across the entire network.
Loyalty programmes will also be merged. Passengers on existing SRT routes will be able to earn points at the same rate of 5% as KTX users, and discount and season ticket schemes will be harmonised.
To ensure that the benefits promised to passengers are actually delivered, the Ministry of Transport and the FTC have signed an agreement to monitor the operations of the integrated operator for three years.
The authorities will focus in particular on fare trends, the number of seats available and the quality of passenger services.
A single app for KTX and SRT
The integration will also be reflected in the ticketing system.
The Ministry of Transport is preparing to launch the KORAIL+ app, which will bring together KTX services and SRT on a single platform and will gradually replace the separate apps used until now.
The new platform will allow bookings for trains on both former systems and is intended to eventually become a more comprehensive mobility app, offering rail services, tourism products and other transport options.
For journeys in August, KTX tickets can be purchased via KORAIL+ or the current KORAIL app, whilst SRT bookings will continue temporarily via the SRT app.
Tickets for the fully integrated KTX–SRT services, which will operate from 1 September, are now on sale via KORAIL+.
The authorities also intend to improve services for international travellers, through AI-powered assistance, multilingual support and personalised features.
An experiment that began almost a decade ago
The South Korean authorities were preparing to phase out the dual-operator system, following the launch of a pilot programme for the interoperability of KTX and SRT trains.
KTX, operated by KORAIL, is South Korea’s original high-speed system and has been in operation since 2004.
In 2016, SRT, operated by SR, was introduced; it uses the same high-speed infrastructure but primarily serves Suseo Station in southern Seoul, whilst KTX traditionally operates from Seoul Station.
The model had been designed to introduce a certain level of competition into high-speed rail transport. In practice, however, the separation also created inconveniences for passengers, ranging from different booking systems to separate loyalty schemes.
The February trials paved the way for the merger
The first concrete step towards reunification was taken on 25 February 2026, when the Ministry of Transport, KORAIL and SR launched cross-operations.
KTX trains began running on a trial basis from Suseo to Busan, whilst SRT trains were introduced between Seoul Station and Busan.
The trial also aimed to make more efficient use of available capacity. On the Suseo–Busan route, for example, KTX-I trains with 955 seats could replace SRT trains with approximately 410 seats, significantly increasing capacity during periods of high demand.
At that time, the authorities had already announced that the results of the pilot programme would be used to prepare for the integration of bookings, fares, passenger services and loyalty schemes.
The competition authority’s approval of the merger now transforms this process from an operational experiment into a definitive reorganisation of South Korea’s high-speed rail system.
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