Honam Line to Gain 4,600 Additional Weekend Seats with KTX-SRT Integration

Jung Junho: "Reservation App Integration Should Be Expedited"
Local Communities Expect Relief from Seat Shortages

If the government’s plan to gradually integrate the high-speed rail services KTX and SRT is implemented, the number of high-speed rail seats in the Honam region is expected to increase by an average of about 4,600 seats per day on weekends. This is according to an analysis conducted by the office of Assemblyman Jung Junho (Gwangju Buk-gu Gap) of the Democratic Party of Korea, based on data from Korea Railroad Corporation titled "Expected Effects of Seat Increase from KTX-SR Agency Integration," released on December 8.

Gwangju Songjeong Station exterior. Provided by Korea Rail Network Authority

According to the data, if the two services are integrated, the number of seats available on the Honam Line will increase by 4,684 per day on weekends. Currently, the number of weekend seats on the Honam Line between Seoul and Suseo stands at 38,872 and 16,400, respectively; after integration, these numbers will rise by 882 and 3,802 seats, respectively.

Nationwide, the analysis shows that the number of seats will increase by 16,690 per day on weekends. By line, the increases are 10,127 seats on the Gyeongbu Line, 1,316 on the Donghae Line, 372 on the Gyeongjeon Line, and 191 on the Honam Line, among others.

In addition to the increase in seat availability, Korea Railroad Corporation cited other expected benefits such as fare reductions, improved user convenience due to the integration of reservation applications, and improved financial health for public enterprises.

Although the Honam Line opened 11 years later than the Gyeongbu Line, it has fewer services, and there have been consistent calls from the region for increased operations.

Assemblyman Jung stated, "Even if the agency integration is completed by the end of next year, cross-operation and reservation app integration should be implemented quickly," adding, "I hope that the integration will improve convenience not only for residents of the Honam region but for all citizens."

The Gwangju branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions commented on the same day, "This is welcome news, like rain during a drought, for the residents of Gwangju and South Jeolla Province who have faced seat shortages every holiday and weekend," and added, "We hope that not only service integration but also legal and institutional integration of agencies will be realized, ensuring mobility rights and balanced regional development."

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