Seoul Metro's Ttota Subway app now offers a full voice-guided route service across 16 Greater Seoul metro lines, following a month-long pilot that began in September
Seoul Metro has introduced a customized route-guidance service for visually impaired passengers within its official Ttota Subway app, launching full operations after a month-long pilot.
The company rolled out the iOS version on Aug. 31 and followed with the Android version on Sept. 14, running a pilot through the end of September.
The service was designed to address the difficulties visually impaired passengers face when using the subway. Previously, riders had to manually check and enter their train car number to access route information — a step that was effectively inaccessible to those with visual impairments.
Passengers had also struggled to catch their stop due to in-car noise or crowding, and some had boarded trains traveling in the wrong direction.
The new service addresses these issues by allowing users to search for departure and arrival stations by voice. Once on board, tapping the "boarding complete" button prompts the app to automatically identify the train based on real-time service data and begin providing route guidance.
The interface follows mobile accessibility standards and offers step-by-step voice prompts, giving visually impaired users an intuitive experience throughout their journey.
After boarding, passengers can check their current location and destination by voice at any time. As the train approaches the destination or a transfer station, the app alerts users to prepare to disembark and announces arrival — helping prevent missed stops caused by noisy or crowded conditions.
The service covers 16 urban rail lines across the Greater Seoul area, including Seoul Metro's own lines as well as the Gyeongui-Jungang Line and the Suin-Bundang Line. For lines operated by other agencies, Seoul Metro conducted on-site inspections and analyzed the accuracy and latency of train service data before selecting routes suitable for stable guidance.
The covered lines include Line 1 (sections beyond Seoul Station–Cheongnyangni), Line 3 (Samsong–Daehwa), Line 4 (Seonbawi–Oido), Line 9 Phase 1 (Gaehwa–Sinnonhyeon), the Gyeongui-Jungang Line, the Gyeongchun Line, the Suin-Bundang Line, the Gyeonggang Line, the Seohae Line, the Sinnim Line and the Ui-Sinseol Line.
During the pilot, Seoul Metro resolved 23 issues identified through on-site checks and user feedback, including a problem where line information on the train-boarding screen was displayed incorrectly at transfer sections. The company improved how information is presented and ensured that guidance details appear accurately on screen.
During the pilot, Seoul Metro also distributed user guides to four welfare centers for the visually impaired in Seoul and gathered feedback from 34 participants, including 33 visually impaired users.
Going forward, the company plans to continuously improve the service's accuracy and usability based on user feedback and field inspections. It will review suggestions received during the pilot — including requests for multi-route options and guidance on earlier or later trains — and pursue improvements that users can tangibly feel.
The Ttota Subway app is available for download by searching "Ttota Subway" on the Google Play Store, the Apple App Store and other app stores.
"This service was focused on practically reducing the difficulties visually impaired passengers face when using the subway," said Jeong Jong-yeop, head of Seoul Metro's management support division. "We will continue to listen to the voices of actual users and keep improving our services so that all citizens — including those with mobility challenges — can use the subway more conveniently."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
