Seoul adds express trains and bus routes to ease rush-hour crowding

Seoul officials announced a schedule overhaul for Metro Line 9, increasing the ratio of express to all-stop trains to two-to-one during the 5:40 a.m.-7 a.m. morning window and moving the start of express service to 5:40 a.m. Evening peak operations will run from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., 30 minutes earlier than before. The changes add eight morning trips and tighten intervals between express departures, which are expected to cut westbound congestion by about 20 percentage points.

At the same time, four new express bus routes will begin on November 16, linking residential areas in Dobong, Gangdong, Sangam and Gangseo with central business districts via dedicated median lanes, reducing stops by roughly 45 percent and shaving about 10 percent off travel times. Yeo Jang-kwon, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Transportation Bureau, said the measures target peak-hour demand and aim to improve overall commuter experience.