South Korea high-speed rail integration reaches pilot stage

South Korea high-speed rail integration has entered a pilot phase as KTX and SRT begin cross-operation, the first concrete step toward bringing the country’s divided high-speed network closer together.

Meanwhile, the test started on February 25 under a program launched by the Ministry of Transport together with Korail and SR, as reported by Korea.net. It involves the mutual circulation of trains from the two systems between the main stations in Seoul. It is also part of the integration roadmap presented in December.

KTX and SRT cross-operation begins

Under the pilot program, KTX trains are running from Suseo Station to Busan, while SRT trains are operating from Seoul Station to Busan. Also, each service is making one round trip per day. Until now, the two high-speed train systems were operated separately, and the trial is intended to verify whether trains can be operated more flexibly regardless of train type or departure station, as reported by RailwayPro.

KTX services have mainly departed from Seoul Station, while SRT trains have used Suseo Station, another major station in the southern part of the capital. At the same time, authorities estimate that the change could increase transport capacity, especially at Suseo Station, where ticket demand has been particularly high.

More seats on the Seoul Station and Suseo Station routes

A major part of the test concerns capacity. On the Suseo-Busan route, the KTX-1 train with 955 seats is replacing SRT rolling stock that offers about 410 seats. That increase in available seats could ease the booking difficulties that passengers often face during busy periods such as weekends and holidays.

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In addition, fares are being adjusted during the pilot to limit confusion for passengers. The KTX service departing from Suseo Station will carry the same fare as SRT, while SRT trains leaving Seoul Station will be priced on average about 10% lower than KTX. Discounted KTX tickets, though, will not accumulate loyalty points.

Why South Korea had two high-speed train systems?

For many international observers, the existence of two separate high-speed train systems in South Korea has long seemed unusual. KTX, operated by the state-owned company Korail, was launched in 2004 as the country’s original high-speed train system. SRT followed in 2016 under operator SR, using the same high-speed infrastructure but departing from Suseo rather than Seoul Station.

The model was intended to introduce a level of competition into high-speed rail transport. Still, many experts have described it as “pseudo-competition on the same infrastructure”, because the two services have not directly competed on the same routes and from the same stations. The separation has also created inconveniences for passengers, including different booking apps and limited service integration.

South Korea high-speed rail integration and system unification

Separately, South Korean authorities see the KTX and SRT cross-operation pilot as the first tangible step toward South Korea high-speed rail integration. After reviewing the results, the government plans to examine the integration of reservation systems, the unification of passenger services, and the harmonization of fares and loyalty programs, as previously covered by Railway Supply.

If these measures are implemented successfully, South Korea could gradually move back toward a more integrated high-speed train operating system after nearly a decade of maintaining two separate services.

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