KTX and SRT Launch "Pilot Coupled Operation" on Gwangju Songjeong-Suseo Route... Seats Doubled

Starting from mid-May, KTX and SRT trains will be operated as a single combined unit on certain routes, including the Honam Line, increasing the number of available train seats.

On the 26th, a first-generation KTX train is moving along the platform at Seoul Station in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News.

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On April 15, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), and SRT operator SR announced they will begin a "pilot coupled operation"-in which KTX and SRT trains are joined and run together-starting next month.

Coupled operation is a method where two trains are connected and run as one unit. This allows for an increase in the number of available seats for passengers without increasing the number of train runs. Through this pilot operation, the government and both agencies aim to enhance passenger convenience and verify safety issues.

The pilot operation will be implemented on certain sections of the Honam Line. On Saturdays and Sundays, selected trains running between Suseo and Gwangju Songjeong on the Honam Line will participate. An SRT train with 410 seats will be coupled with a KTX-Sancheon train of the same capacity, providing a total of 820 seats.

Tickets can be reserved from 7:00 a.m. on the day of the announcement through KORAIL and SR’s mobile applications, websites, train station ticket counters, and unmanned ticket machines. Because the front and rear trains are of different types, passengers must search for both KTX and SRT online to view all available trains. For these coupled trains, KTX ticket prices will be reduced to the SRT level, approximately a 10% discount. KTX trains departing from or arriving at Suseo Station will also offer a 10% discount. However, tickets purchased with the discount will not be eligible for mileage accumulation.

Since December of last year, the government has been repeatedly conducting connection work and test runs to ensure safety. During the final pre-operation inspection, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport personnel will personally check every step of the process-from ticket reservation to boarding and disembarking-to ensure passenger convenience and safety.

A KORAIL representative stated, “This pilot coupled operation is an important step in improving the efficiency of high-speed rail operations and verifying the expansion of seat supply,” adding, “We will work closely with related agencies to do our utmost to enhance services and ensure safety in a way that passengers can truly feel.”

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