Airport Railroad to add 4 express trains daily, cut wait times by 4 minutes

The Airport Railroad Express (AREX) service connecting Incheon International Airport and Seoul Station is set to expand, making travel more convenient for passengers.

AREX announced Wednesday that it will add four daily express train runs starting Friday, in response to growing passenger demand at Incheon Airport.

The expansion will bring the total number of daily express train runs from 52 to 56.

The additional services will be concentrated between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., the busiest period of the day, with two runs added in each direction.

As a result, the average headway during that window will shorten from 39 minutes to 35 minutes — a reduction of four minutes.

AREX said it pursued the expansion to ease congestion during peak hours and increase seat supply.

The average seat occupancy rate on express trains between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. stands at 85.3 percent.

In September, the 3 p.m. express departing Incheon Airport for Seoul Station recorded a seat occupancy rate of 98.7 percent — nearly a full train.

AREX expects the expansion to add about 960 seats per day, making ticket reservations considerably easier for passengers.

Foreign tourists accounted for 79.8 percent of express train riders last year, and the expansion aligns with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's policy to improve transport links between Incheon Airport and regional destinations across the country.

The change is expected to make it significantly easier for foreign tourists to transfer at Seoul Station to KTX trains bound for destinations nationwide.

Meanwhile, some general train schedules will also be adjusted in line with the express service expansion. Updated timetables for both express and general trains will be available at station notice boards and on the AREX official website.

"We aimed to increase seat availability during the midday peak hours to better serve Incheon Airport passengers," AREX President Park Dae-su said. "We will continue to improve the train travel environment and strengthen transport connectivity between regions."