KTX-SRT integration lifts daily ridership 12.6% to 322,000

By James Calloway

Daily high-speed rail ridership in South Korea averaged 322,000 passengers between September 1 and October 30, the first 60 days of unified KTX and SRT operations, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) and Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL).

The ministry and operator reported on November 5, 2026, that the daily average exceeded the previous year by 36,000 passengers, or 12.6%. Over the same two-month period, the reported monthly growth rate increased from 11.9% in September to 13.3% in October.

MOLIT and KORAIL attributed the increase to added seats and more train services. The announcement does not quantify those additions by route, so the relationship between capacity and traffic cannot be checked route by route from the figures released.

What did the integration change for passengers?

KTX and SRT now operate as one high-speed system. Public fare discounts for children, young people, seniors and pregnant women, previously limited to KTX routes, now cover the former SRT routes. Transfer discounts between high-speed and conventional rail have also been unified.

After integration, average daily transfers between high-speed and conventional rail rose 54.5%, from 6,110 before the merger to 9,441 afterward, according to MOLIT and KORAIL.

The operators put the value of September’s passenger benefits at about 22.8 billion won when they announced the results on October 30. That second-month total effectively rose to about 28.7 billion won. The release gave no breakdown by discount, so it does not isolate the reduction in individual passengers’ transport costs.

How are tickets and systems coping?

In October 2026, KORAIL fixed booking features that had drawn complaints: users can retain train-type and adjacent-station settings and book round trips. By the end of 2026, the operator plans to revise the estimated-refund display and simplify booking. It will also consult a UI/UX improvement committee comprising outside experts.

Before Chuseok ticket reservations, KORAIL expanded web servers from the usual 11 to 60 and mass-access control units from 6 to 20. The railway also ran 232 simulation tests, but access delays still occurred.

The operator says it will analyze the causes and improve system performance. It also plans to upgrade detection and blocking functions against fraudulent bookings using macros and other methods, cooperate with relevant agencies and improve the regulations.

Those are planned responses, not reported outcomes: the announcement records the extra capacity and simulations, but provides no subsequent data showing fewer access delays or blocked fraudulent bookings.

What did MOLIT and KORAIL promise next?

MOLIT Minister Hong Ji-seon said: “The benefits of integration are beginning to emerge: at least 320,000 people a day are using the trains, and the burden of transportation costs is also falling.”

He also promised to address booking inconveniences, ensure that integration’s benefits reach everyone and keep safety as the top priority.

KORAIL President Kim Taeseung said: “The rapid establishment of integrated high-speed rail was possible thanks to the public, who trusted us and continued to use the trains.”

He said KORAIL would repay that trust through rigorous safety and service, allowing unified high-speed rail to contribute to balanced national development as a backbone transport network connecting the country quickly, safely and conveniently.

The 322,000 daily passengers and 54.5% transfer increase are measured results; the booking revisions, performance work and fraud controls remain commitments, with the year-end booking update the next milestone.