Pohang-Suseo High-Speed Train Service Begins on the 1st!

Expansion of the Long-Awaited Metropolitan Transportation Network for Citizens

Pohang City announced on the 29th that the ‘Suseo-bound High-Speed Train (SRT),’ a long-awaited project by citizens and a key campaign pledge of Mayor Lee Kang-deok, will begin full operation starting next month on the 1st.

With the opening of the Suseo-bound high-speed train, residents of Pohang and the East Coast region of Gyeongbuk will no longer face the inconvenience of taking more than 40 minutes from Seoul Station to the Gangnam area, where large hospitals and major corporations are concentrated. It is also expected to benefit corporate activities of steel companies such as POSCO.

The usage rate of the Pohang?Seoul Station KTX, which opened in April 2015, reached 118% on weekends in 2019, representing a nationwide saturation level, with 170,000 standing passengers annually due to sold-out seats.

Although the number of daily services increased from 20 in 2015 to 28 (32 train sets) in 2021, the inconvenience for residents of Pohang and the East Coast region of Gyeongbuk has intensified due to the continuous increase in passengers wishing to use the Gangnam area.

As a result of various efforts, including meetings with the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and continuous active requests to the relevant departments, the operation of the Suseo-bound high-speed train has been confirmed.

Ticket reservations and sales for trains operating from the 1st of next month began on August 11, and detailed information such as operating times and fares by section can be checked through the SR website and app.

The train will operate twice daily round-trip regardless of weekends or weekdays, with fares of 47,200 KRW for standard seats and 68,400 KRW for special seats.

The northbound train departs from Pohang Station at 9:41 AM, arriving at the terminal Suseo Station at 12:02 AM, taking a total of 2 hours and 21 minutes. The next train departs Pohang at 7:43 PM and arrives at Suseo at 10:10 PM.

The southbound train departs from Suseo Station at 6:30 AM, arriving at 8:51 AM, and the next train departs Suseo at 4:34 PM, arriving in Pohang at 7:01 PM.

Additionally, Pohang City will sign an ‘ESG-based Win-Win Development Business Agreement’ with SR on September 4th in line with the SRT opening. Through this agreement, both organizations will strengthen their strategic cooperation related to ESG, jointly discovering and promoting environmental protection, regional economic development, and social contribution activities. In particular, they plan to cooperate in promoting local festivals, specialty products, and supporting market access for local small and medium-sized enterprises.

The city plans to continue efforts to improve citizens’ transportation convenience by requesting increased services from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and SR once the Pyeongtaek?Osong section, which is currently saturated in track capacity, is double-tracked in 2027 and additional train cars are introduced.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok said, “The operation of the Suseo-bound SRT high-speed train is a precious achievement that citizens have taken an interest in and worked together to accomplish,” adding, “It is expected to contribute to balanced national development through improved metropolitan transportation convenience and help resolve regional disparities in high-speed rail services.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.