A new transfer passageway at Seoul Station connecting the Incheon Airport Railroad to Seoul’s Subway Line Nos. 1 and 4 is set to open on March 28.

The convenience offered by the new passageway will have the biggest impact on foreign tourists looking for a faster way to reach various attractions, according to railroad sources.

Until the passageway opens, passengers must walk up from the third underground floor to the second aboveground floor, and cross through the KTX waiting area to access the subway. 


The new tunnel will connect the two train networks directly to minimize confusion. According to the Airport Railroad, it is expected to make transferring up to 10 minutes faster.

In addition, the new 304-meter passageway will also help travelers cut down on costs. Passengers will be able to take advantage of the discounts that apply to transfers between different subway lines in the city, provided they use a transfer-enabled metro pass.

Perhaps most welcome of all, a direct transfer at Seoul Station gives passengers quicker access to Subway Line No. 4, which cuts across the city and stops at big tourist attractions such as Myeong-dong and Dongdaemun Design Plaza.

According to sources at the railroad, tourists headed for those attractions had been taking a longer route via Hongik University Station on Subway Line No. 2 because there was no clear way to transfer to Line No. 4 from the Airport Railroad. Line No. 1, the other line servicing Seoul Station, takes tourists to destinations like the Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market and Seoul City Hall.

The transfer passageway is the latest in a series of steps taken by the Incheon Airport Railroad to facilitate travel through Seoul for visitors from overseas.

The Airport Railroad currently operates its official mobile website and social media in four languages ― Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese ― to cater to tourists. Travelers who are unfamiliar with Korea’s train systems can also get information about how to reach various destinations at the Travel Center at Incheon International Airport.

The Incheon Airport Railroad’s high-speed trains began running between the airport and Seoul in 2007, with the tracks being extended to Seoul Station in 2010.

The express train takes 43 minutes to run the route, much faster than the limousines or taxis that face inner-city traffic. According to numbers released by KORAIL Airport Railroad on Tuesday, this convenience has led to a nearly thirteenfold increase in ticket sales, from approximately 13,000 daily passengers in 2007 to 176,000 as of 2014.

By Won Ho-jung(hjwon@heraldcorp.com)