Seoul will run more express trains on subway Line 9, one of the city's most crowded lines during the morning rush, and introduce express buses in outlying districts including Dobong, Gangdong, Gangseo and Sangam that stop only at major stops to speed commuters into the city center. The changes are expected to ease rush-hour crowding and shorten travel times.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced the plan, called the Seoul Express Public Transit Operation Plan, on the 14th. It follows earlier transit measures such as shorter subway transfer times and self-driving buses on early-morning routes. The plan focuses on adjusting existing service to match the hours and sections where commuter demand is concentrated.
The city will first change the ratio of express to all-stop trains on Line 9. The line, which runs through major business districts including Yeouido and Gangnam, reaches peak morning crowding of 182.3% on inbound express trains and 192.5% on outbound express trains. Assuming a capacity of 100 passengers, that means more than 180 to 190 people aboard — crowded enough that riders can barely move.
To ease the crush, the city will change the ratio of express to all-stop trains from 1-to-1 to 2-to-1 between 5:40 a.m. and 7 a.m. on the inbound line running from Gaehwa Station toward Jungang Veterans Hospital Station. Instead of alternating one express train with one all-stop train, the city will run two express trains in a row followed by one all-stop train. The hours of concentrated service will also shift. The morning peak period will begin at 5:40 a.m. instead of 6:30 a.m., and the evening peak will run from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. instead of 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The changes will add eight train runs during morning hours and shorten express headways. At Dongjak Station between 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., the gap between inbound express trains will narrow to six minutes from six minutes and 20 seconds, while the outbound gap will fall to between six minutes and 20 seconds and eight minutes, from between eight minutes and 40 seconds and 13 minutes. Peak morning crowding is expected to drop to 172.1% from 192.5% on the outbound line and to 174.2% from 182.3% on the inbound line.
The city says the adjustment will have the same effect as adding 24 new subway cars, or four train sets. It allows the city to improve the efficiency of existing trains without spending about 66 billion won on new cars or waiting several years for delivery.
In outlying areas, the city will pilot four express trunk bus routes that run in median bus lanes and stop only at major stops. The move is intended to improve commutes for residents of outlying Seoul districts who have been relatively left out of faster options such as the Great Train Express (GTX) and metropolitan express buses. The buses will keep existing trunk routes but use passing lanes in the median bus-only lanes to skip intermediate stops.
For example, the Express 150 route from the Dobong bus depot to City Hall Station will pick up passengers at outlying stops such as Dobongsan Station and Ssangmun Station, then pass Suyu Station, Mia Station and Miasageori Station before stopping at major stops in the Jongno and City Hall area. Long-distance riders can take the express buses, while passengers using intermediate stops can take regular buses.
The pilot routes are Express 150 (Dobong depot to City Hall Station), Express 370 (Gangdong depot to Chungjeongno Station), Express 470 (Sangam depot to City Hall Station) and Express 605 (Gangseo depot to Yeongdeungpo Station). Each route will run three times a day — once in the early morning and twice during the morning rush.
The express buses are expected to cut the number of stops by an average of 45.8% compared with regular routes and shorten travel times by about 10%. The city plans to review whether to expand the routes after analyzing ridership and operating results. The subway and express bus changes take effect on Nov. 16.
"The core of this plan is concentrating the transit service that is needed during commuting hours, in line with demand," said Yeo Jang-kwon, head of the Seoul city government's transportation bureau. "We will continue to innovate operations, easing congestion and shortening travel times by improving the efficiency of public transit."