INCHEON — The Airport Railroad's direct train, which links Incheon International Airport and downtown Seoul without intermediate stops, will run more often during midday hours to ease crowding for passengers. The move is aimed at relieving a chronic seat shortage and shortening waits between trains.
Starting on the 23rd, the operator will add four direct trains a day, raising the total to 56 from 52.
The additional service is concentrated between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., when demand is heaviest. With two more trains added in each direction, the average interval during those hours will narrow to 35 minutes from 39 minutes. Daily seat capacity will rise by 960.
Midday direct trains have long been running close to full. Average seat occupancy during those hours reached 85.3%, and as of September, occupancy on Seoul Station-bound direct trains in the 3 p.m. hour climbed to 98.7%, with trains selling out repeatedly. The added service is expected to make tickets easier to book.
The change is also expected to help arriving international travelers and those transferring to other parts of the country. Foreign nationals accounted for 79.8% of direct train passengers last year. The added runs will make travel easier for foreign tourists who switch to KTX trains at Seoul Station to reach other regions.
Timetables for the all-stop trains will also be partially adjusted to accommodate the additional direct services. Detailed revised schedules are available at station notice boards and on the operator's official website.
"We increased seat capacity during the midday hours when passenger demand concentrates, so that travelers can feel the difference in getting to and from the airport," said Park Dae-soo, chief executive of Airport Railroad. "We will keep improving connecting service linking the airport, downtown and other regions while maintaining on-time performance."