AREX completes renovations at Seoul Station City Airport Terminal to improve convenience
Key Takeaways
- •The City Airport Terminal at Seoul Station now offers upgraded facilities for check-in, baggage drop-off and immigration before airport departure.
- •AREX said express train ridership reached 2.66 million in 2025, more than 35 percent above 2019 levels.
- •The terminal served 470,000 users over the year, averaging 1,302 passengers per day and surpassing 2,000 on busy holiday days.
- •AREX added a queue management system, smart baggage scales, numbered route signs and expanded waiting areas to ease congestion.
Airport Railroad (AREX) said Friday it had completed renovations at the City Airport Terminal at Seoul Station to meet rising demand for a more convenient check-in experience.
The terminal allows travelers to check in, drop off baggage and complete immigration procedures before heading to Incheon Airport, South Korea's main international gateway. AREX's express trains link Seoul Station directly to the airport terminals in under an hour, and the downtown terminal model is designed to shift time-consuming airport procedures away from congested departure halls.
AREX said express train ridership reached 2.66 million in 2025, up more than 35 percent from 2019. The 2019 baseline reflects the collapse in air travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, which made pre-2020 figures the standard benchmark for recovery comparisons. The terminal also served 470,000 users over the year, or an average of 1,302 a day. During peak periods such as the holiday season, daily passenger numbers exceeded 2,000, underscoring the need to ease congestion.
In response, AREX introduced a queue management system and smart baggage scales in October last year, while also streamlining passenger routes and expanding waiting areas.
Under the new queue system, travelers can take a number from a kiosk and monitor their turn on screens in the waiting area, helping reduce lines around check-in counters.
The smart baggage scales allow users to weigh luggage before check-in, helping prevent delays caused by excess baggage.
AREX also installed numbered signs along the route from the information center to the express train gates to make navigation through the terminal easier.
Waiting areas were expanded and separated from check-in zones to create a smoother flow of passengers.
“Seoul Station City Airport Terminal is a key customer service that allows passengers to complete airport procedures in the city before heading to the airport,” AREX CEO Park Dae-soo said. “The renovation has created a more convenient environment for passengers to start their journeys.”
