Seoul Subway will comprehensively upgrade its transit card system, launching seamless travel service

Rail Transit Expo News: Seoul Metro recently announced a comprehensive upgrade of the Seoul Subway transit card collection system and the introduction of the "Tagless" service. In the future, passengers will not need to take out their transit cards; they will only need to bring their smartphones to pass through the turnstiles. At the same time, Seoul Metro will also build EMV infrastructure supporting overseas bank card payments.

It is reported that Seoul Metro launched the operator tender for the "Third-Generation Transportation Card Collection System Construction Project" at the end of August, planning to complete supplier selection and officially start system construction by December this year.

This upgrade covers 276 stations on Seoul Subway Lines 1 to 8, involving 6,101 transit card terminals as well as station computers, payment devices, recharge devices, and a complete ticketing system.

The current transit card system in use was completed in 2017. After this upgrade, Seoul Metro will adopt a new integrated turnstile terminal, integrating the previously separate transit card sensing area with the display screen and expanding the display area, allowing passengers to intuitively view fares, transaction results, and card swipe locations, reducing repeated card swiping and similar situations.

The biggest change in this project is the introduction of the Tagless Seamless Passage System.

This technology allows passengers to pass through turnstiles without needing to manually take out or swipe their transit cards, simply carrying their smartphones. Seoul Metro stated that this service is expected to improve travel convenience for passengers carrying luggage, wheelchair users, visually impaired individuals, and the elderly.

Seoul plans to first deploy the Tagless feature on barrier-free turnstiles.

In addition, Seoul Metro will simultaneously build payment infrastructure based on the EMV international payment standard. In the future, credit or debit cards with related functions are expected to be directly used for public transportation payments, providing convenience for foreign tourists using the Seoul subway.

However, Seoul Metro emphasized that the main purpose of this project is to complete the construction of EMV terminals and backend systems, and does not mean that once the system is completed, bank cards issued overseas can immediately ride the subway.

The official opening of the bank card ride function will require further coordination among public transportation operators in the metropolitan area regarding system interconnection, clearing mechanisms, fees, and related systems.

According to the plan, Seoul Metro will select the project implementer by December 2026 and complete subsequent system construction, testing, and verification, aiming to officially launch the third-generation transportation card collection system and Tagless service by December 2027.

Rail Transit Exhibition booth reservation

Free registration for the rail transit exhibition