The "Korail+" unified app, which allows passengers to book tickets for both KTX and SRT trains, launches Monday. It will be available for download or update on mobile app stores from 9 a.m. The image shows the Korail+ home screen. [Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport]
The "Korail+" unified app, which allows passengers to book tickets for both KTX and SRT trains, launches Monday. It will be available for download or update on mobile app stores from 9 a.m. The image shows the Korail+ home screen. [Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport]

A unified ticket-booking app for Korail and SR trains launches Monday. Named "Korail+," the app is available for download or as an update through mobile app stores.

KTX tickets can be booked through either the new unified app or the existing app, while SRT tickets must still be booked through the SRT app through the end of August. Tickets for integrated KTX and SRT services operating from Sept. 1 onward will be available exclusively through the unified app starting Wednesday at 10 a.m.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport launched the unified app Monday following the Korea Fair Trade Commission's final approval of the Korail-SR merger, which laid the groundwork for integration.

The app's name was finalized as "Korail+" following a public preference survey and expert consultations on criteria including simplicity, intuitiveness and symbolic value. It will be available from 9 a.m. Monday as an update to the existing Korail Talk app or as a fresh installation.

The new app streamlines the search process — users can now adjust conditions directly on the search screen without re-entering dates and times. Sorting and filter functions have also been added to help passengers find their preferred trains more precisely. The payment screen has been consolidated as well, allowing discount coupons, mileage points and payment methods to be handled in one place.

The app also improves the search and booking experience for travel products, sightseeing trains and rail passes. The ministry plans to expand the service beyond simple ticket booking into a comprehensive Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platform covering the full travel experience.

To make ticket booking and travel easier for foreign visitors, the ministry plans to expand services including AI-powered guidance, platform expansion and tailored support.

Passengers wishing to travel on SRT through the end of August must continue booking through the existing SRT app. KTX tickets can be booked through either the unified or existing app regardless of travel date. Tickets for integrated KTX and SRT trains operating from Sept. 1 will go on sale Wednesday at 10 a.m. through Korail+ or the Korail website.

To ensure passengers who have not installed or updated the unified app can still book tickets, the existing Korail Talk and SRT apps will retain their booking functions for now even after Sept. 1. However, bookings through the SRT app will only be available on a non-member basis, which may limit access to integrated benefits such as mileage accrual and discounts.

Users will need to convert to an integrated membership account to fully use Korail+ and take advantage of the expanded rail benefits.

From Sept. 1, seat supply on integrated services will increase, and various improvements — including fare reductions and mileage accrual — will take effect.

Nationally, capacity will grow by 15,000 seats per day on weekdays and 17,000 seats per day on weekends, adding a total of 116,000 seats per week. The number of services will increase by 26 trips on weekends.

Most of the added services will run on the Suseo corridor, which has long seen excess demand, with seat capacity on that route expanding by about 30 percent. The expansion is expected to strengthen connectivity between southern Greater Seoul and regional cities, improve access to major hospitals in Seoul for residents outside the capital, and ease the difficulty of booking Suseo-bound trains.

To secure additional rolling stock for further capacity increases, the ministry plans to introduce 31 new high-speed train sets (EMU-320) in phases from 2027. It also intends to continue expanding services and seat supply in line with the planned opening of a second double-track line between Pyeongtaek and Osong, scheduled for late 2028, which will relieve a key bottleneck.

High-speed rail fares will be adjusted to the existing SRT fare level, lowering them by an average of 10 percent compared with current KTX prices. Mileage accrual on SRT routes will also be brought in line with KTX, with 5 percent of the fare credited on each journey.

A 30 percent transfer discount between high-speed and regular trains on existing SRT routes will be introduced, and KTX online special-fare products will be extended to SRT routes as well.

A launch event for the unified app and an announcement of high-speed rail service improvements will be held at Suseo Station on Monday morning.

Land Minister Kim Yun-deok said the app launch marks "the starting point at which the public will first feel the benefits of high-speed rail integration," adding that the ministry would "prepare thoroughly so that passengers can conveniently book KTX and SRT tickets in one app and enjoy lower fares and expanded seating."

Korail President Kim Tae-seung said the new Korail+ app "simplifies the booking process and improves visibility so that everyone, including passengers with mobility challenges, can experience the benefits of high-speed rail integration," and pledged to "do everything possible to ensure stable rail services so that ticket bookings for integrated trains in September, including the Chuseok holiday period, proceed without disruption."


smh@heraldcorp.com