Airport Railroad Marks 25th Anniversary as Core Airport Transit Infrastructure... Passenger Numbers Up 22.3 Times

Nearly 1.2 Billion Total Passengers
Annual Ridership Up 22.3 Times Since 2007 Opening
Selected as Outstanding Railway Safety Operator and Recognized for Excellence in National Disaster Response Training Seven Years in a Row

Photo from the 25th anniversary celebration event held on March 24 at the Airport Railroad headquarters (Daesu Park, fourth from the left)

Airport Railroad Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Airport Railroad) celebrated its 25th anniversary on March 23. Since the opening of the first phase section (Gimpo Airport–Incheon International Airport) in 2007, Airport Railroad has gradually expanded its route, with the full section (Seoul Station–Incheon International Airport) opening in 2010 and the extension to Incheon Airport Terminal 2 Station in 2018. Through these expansions, it has grown into a core national transportation network and has now established itself as Korea’s leading airport rail transit institution.

Since its opening in 2007, Airport Railroad has recorded a cumulative total of 1.19 billion passengers, achieving a remarkable 22.3-fold increase in passengers and a 15.2-fold rise in fare revenue compared to initial figures. Notably, on March 20, 2026, it reached a record daily ridership of 371,266 passengers, further solidifying its status as a primary means of airport access.

This growth was achieved on the foundation of a top-tier safety management system. Following its approval of the Railway Safety Management System in 2014, Airport Railroad has continued to renew various safety certifications, including the Safety and Health Management System (KOSHA-MS), designation as an Excellent Enterprise for Disaster Reduction, and as an Outstanding Worksite for Health Promotion, thereby securing credibility in its safety management practices.

In particular, Airport Railroad has been selected as an Outstanding Institution for the “Korea National Disaster Response Safety Training” for seven consecutive times. It was also named the “Outstanding Railway Safety Operator” by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in both 2024 and 2025, once again proving that it sets a new standard for railway safety in Korea.

Furthermore, Airport Railroad has continuously strived to improve customer-oriented services beyond merely providing transportation. Since 2014, it has operated customer participation programs such as the Customer Monitoring Group (currently Youth Monitoring Group), Summer Railway School, and History Tours. It has also introduced various initiatives to enhance convenience, including the first-ever credit card payment system for single-use transportation cards in the national subway system, and improvements to in-train guidance signage for transportation-vulnerable passengers.

Marking its 25th anniversary, Airport Railroad plans to take a further leap forward. With “maximum safety” and “customer satisfaction” as its top priorities, the company is focusing all its resources on achieving the following goals: zero safety accidents and operational disruptions, a 99.99% on-time operation rate, an “A” grade in all four categories of the government’s safety evaluation, and 160 billion won in operating revenue.

In addition, Airport Railroad aims to strengthen its global network by cooperating with major overseas rail operators in countries such as Japan and Taiwan. The company is also pursuing key projects, including high-speed upgrades, total replacement of signaling equipment, upgrades to the AFC (Automatic Fare Collection) system, and the renewal of the Seoul Station City Airport Terminal, thereby establishing a foundation for continued growth.

Park Daesoo, President of Airport Railroad, stated, “The past 25 years of Airport Railroad have not simply been about growing transportation numbers, but about creating a railway that customers can use with peace of mind. Going forward, on the basis of safety and punctuality, we will further enhance convenience and service quality that customers can truly experience, and develop Airport Railroad as the standard for airport transportation in Korea.”

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