KTX and SRT Begin Test Runs as a Single Train... Passenger Operations Start May 15

Aiming for Integrated Operations in September

Test runs to connect and operate KTX and SRT trains as a single train began on April 30, 2026. The government plans to finalize an integrated train operation plan in September, after conducting pilot operations with passengers on board next month.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, along with Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) and SR, announced that from this day through May 14, test runs for pilot coupled operation of KTX and SRT will be conducted on actual commercial railway lines. Coupled operation refers to running two different trains as if they were a single train by physically connecting them.

The test runs will take place a total of four times. The first will cover the Gwangju Songjeong Station to Suseo Station section, followed by Seoul Station to Busan Station on May 6, Seoul Station to Gwangju Songjeong Station on May 12, and Gwangju Songjeong Station to Seoul Station on May 14, with one round trip for each section. During these test runs, regular passengers will not be on board; only officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, KORAIL, and SR will participate to inspect safety.

On the 30th, at Suseo Station, KTX-Sancheon and SRT trains are connected for a test run of coupled operation. SR

Pilot coupled operation trains open to passengers will begin running from May 15. Based on the results of the pilot runs, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to make improvements and establish the optimal integrated train operation plan by September.

This test run is a follow-up measure to the high-speed rail integration roadmap announced in December last year. KORAIL and SR have been checking whether the KTX and SRT rolling stock, tracks, and commercial facilities are compatible with each other. Since February 25 of this year, they have also conducted pilot cross-operation, with KTX trains running to Suseo Station and SRT trains running to Seoul Station.

This coupled operation goes beyond the previous cross-operation. Instead of simply having each train enter the other's station, KTX and SRT will actually be connected and operated as a single train. The two organizations have conducted train connection and driving tests at depots, and the necessary software for train control was supplemented and verified in April.

The test runs will focus on ensuring that core systems such as communication, braking, and emergency control function properly in the actual operating environment. Since KTX and SRT are connected and run together, verifying that the control systems of both trains are perfectly synchronized is the most critical inspection point.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport expects that the full-scale implementation of KTX and SRT coupled operation will provide more options for high-speed rail passengers. In particular, more seats will be available for passengers in the southeastern metropolitan area using Suseo Station, and the utilization of high-speed rail operations between Seoul Station and Suseo Station will also increase.

Kim Taebyeong, Director-General of the Railroad Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "We will create a more comfortable and convenient high-speed rail environment by connecting KTX and SRT as one," adding, "We will ensure that the pilot coupled operation starting May 15 serves as the foundation for an integrated operation system that passengers can use with confidence."

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