Korea's SRT Trains Near Full Capacity as Lunar New Year Bookings Skyrocket

Demand for Super Rapid Train (SRT) tickets during Korea's Lunar New Year holiday has surged this year. Over four days, passengers booked more than 80% of available seats, with certain routes nearing full capacity.

Between the reservation window, 267,000 of the 329,000 seats were snapped up—an 81.2% booking rate. This marks a rise from last year's 75.5%, showing stronger early demand.

The Gyeongjeon Line saw the highest occupancy at 95.2%. Outbound travel hit its peak on February 14, with southbound routes reaching 95.7% bookings. Return journeys were even busier, with February 18 bookings at 97.4%.

To meet demand, SRT will add extra trains, increasing seat availability by roughly 11,000 during the holiday rush. Any unsold tickets went on general sale from 3 p.m. on Thursday, while reserved bookings must be paid for by midnight on Sunday.

The operator is also cracking down on illegal ticket resales to prevent exploitation during the busy period.

With record-high advance bookings, SRT's measures aim to ease congestion and ensure fair access. The added trains and stricter resale checks reflect efforts to manage the holiday travel surge efficiently.