This year, the number of high-speed rail passengers exceeded 58 million. Foreign usage increased by more than 13% compared to a year ago, supporting the recovery of demand after COVID-19.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the 14th, the cumulative number of passengers using the main railway network, including KTX and SRT, was counted at 85.09 million from January to June this year. This is a 0.3% increase compared to the same period last year (84.86 million).
The total number of high-speed rail passengers reached 58.25 million, an increase of 1.6% compared to a year ago. KTX saw 45.44 million passengers, reflecting a 3.2% increase from the previous year, while SRT had 12.81 million passengers, a decrease of 3.4%. General rail usage dropped to 26.84 million, down 2.6%. The boarding rates were 65.5% for KTX and 77.7% for SRT.
The opening of new routes also contributed to the increase in passengers. A total of 2.5 million passengers used the six new lines opened from the second half of last year to the beginning of this year, including the West Sea Line (Hongseong–Seohwaseong) and East Sea Line (Bujeon–Gangneung). Notably, the East Sea Line recorded 992,000 passengers in the first half, establishing itself as a new transportation axis in the East Coast region. The boarding rate was 62.8%.
The new high-speed train models KTX-Cheongnyong and KTX-Eum are gradually expanding their use. KTX-Cheongnyong had 589,000 passengers in the first half, an increase of 2.3% compared to the first half, while KTX-Eum had 4.64 million passengers, an 8.6% increase compared to the same period last year.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced plans to expand the routes of the two trains. KTX-Cheongnyong will be deployed on the Gyeongbu and Honam Lines starting from 2027, while KTX-Eum is expected to commence operations on the East Sea Line by the end of this year and on the West Sea Line next year.
Demand from foreign passengers was also evident. In the first half of this year, foreign railway passengers reached 2.84 million, an increase of 13.4% compared to the same period last year. According to a survey by KORAIL, foreign passenger satisfaction was rated at 93 out of 100, receiving an "excellent" evaluation.
The effects of adjusting refund fees were also confirmed. Since May, KORAIL and SR have increased their refund fees, resulting in a 0.9 percentage point decrease in KORAIL's refund rate and a 6.0 percentage point increase in early returns. SRT saw a 2.7 percentage point decrease in refund rates and an 8.5 percentage point increase in early returns. The ministry stated that this adjustment led to an additional average of 2,647 KTX seats and 886 SRT seats being supplied on weekends.
Yoon Jin-hwan, director of the rail policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, noted, "We plan to continue working to provide faster and safer rail services to be a strong support for the growth of our nation."