The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 4th that they have proactively established an Emergency Transport Measures Headquarters in preparation for the railway and Seoul Metro labor union strikes, aiming to minimize inconvenience to citizens. As the railway strike is set to begin on the 5th, additional alternative transportation such as city buses will be deployed to enhance transport capacity. The peak commuting times for 343 regular bus routes will be extended by an hour, allowing for approximately 6,448 additional runs during commuting hours. Similarly, the operation times for “squirrel” and “companion” buses will be extended by an hour.
Subway lines 1 through 8 will operate normally during morning rush hours, while lines 2, 5, 6, 7, and 8 will maintain 100% operation in the evening, keeping the total operation level at approximately 86%. Line 9 will operate as usual. Additional taxis will also be encouraged to run.
Should both the railway and metro unions strike simultaneously, extra vehicle deployment will ensure transport capacity. Out-of-service reserve and short-distance buses will be added to 174 routes, increasing operations by 1,615 runs. Five standby trains will be introduced on lines 2, 3, and 4, ensuring stable train operations even if the railway strike continues from the 5th to the 6th.
Even if both unions strike together, the commuting operation rates are expected to remain at 96.1% in the morning and 83.9% in the evening, with potential increases in evening rates with additional standby trains. Efforts will include managing subway congestion and deploying approximately 13,000 personnel, including non-striking staff and subcontractors, to maintain subway operations at 80% of normal levels. An additional 124 city staff members will support station management.
While striving for an amicable labor agreement and rapid normalization of public transportation, the city will maintain transport plans and monitor operations in case of an extended strike. If a strike persists for over eight days, morning operations will remain at 100%, and evening at 86%, with chartered buses at busy stations and encouraging district commuter buses to increase alternative transport capacity.
Yoon Jong-jang, head of Seoul’s transportation division, stated, “We are making every possible effort to mobilize all transport resources available to minimize inconvenience to subway users and hope for a prompt labor agreement. We will do our utmost to normalize operations.”