eFM News

[Anchor]

A new player is joining the web of high-speed trains that criss-cross the nation.

The SRT, or Super Rapid Train, will connect southern Seoul to Pyeongtaek.

Ron Chang reports.

[Reporter]

After some five years and seven months of construction, the Suseo-Pyeongtaek High Speed Railway or SRT will begin service at 5AM early tomorrow morning.

It will connect Suseo Station, where Seoul subway Line 3 and the Bundang line intersect, to the Gyeongbu High Speed Railway in Pyeongtaek, passing through Dongtan and Jije.

An opening ceremony will be held at Suseo Station this afternoon at 2PM, with some 800 people in attendance.

Residents living in southern Seoul and southeastern parts of Gyeonggi, such as Bundang and Hanam, will likely benefit the most from the service.

Previously, they could only catch high-speed trains, namely the KTX, at either Seoul Station or Yongsan Station, both located north of the river.

SRT will cut the time it takes to get to both Busan and Mokpo from Suseo by some eight minutes and the fare will be around 10 percent cheaper.

One downside is, however, that around 93 percent of the total length of the route from Suseo to Pyeongtaek is tunnels.

So, SRT may not be the ideal service to take for those that want to see what other parts of the country look like.

And, passengers that are concerned about safety, there's no need to worry, as most of the tunnels are equipped with evacuation areas and passages.

Meanwhile, the transport ministry has cooperated with local governments to establish new bus routes to make it easier for passengers to get to where they are going.

Ron Chang, eFM News.■