Seoul Overhauls Hangang Bus Service for Winter... Shortens Headways and Adjusts Routes

Winter operating schedule adjusted for efficiency
Reflecting changes in winter sunset times and other factors
One-hour headways and standardized transfer wait times

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will adjust Hangang Bus operating hours for the winter season. It will also strengthen its safety management system in response to climate change and improve service frequency and transfer convenience.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on November 8 that it will adjust Hangang Bus operating hours from December 1, 2026, through February 28, 2027, and reduce the number of daily trips from 40 to 32.

A Hangang Bus arrives at the Hangang Bus dock in Yeouido, Seoul. The Asia Business Daily

The East Route currently operates from 11:00 to 21:30, and the West Route from 11:20 to 21:39. Under the new schedule, the East Route will operate from 11:00 to 21:04, and the West Route from 11:22 to 20:42.

Along with the schedule changes, the city will improve service frequency and transfer convenience. It will standardize headways, which currently vary from a minimum of 20 minutes to a maximum of 1 hour and 30 minutes, at one hour. It will also set the transfer wait between the East and West routes at 18 minutes, making it easier for passengers to predict travel and transfer times.

Seoul Forest Pier will be added to the regular route. The current practice of alternating stops between Oksu and Apgujeong piers will also change, with Hangang Buses stopping at both piers from now on.

The city is also considering expanding its group reservation service, which began on October 20, 2026. The service currently operates on weekdays at Magok and Jamsil piers. The city plans to extend it in December 2026 to weekends and other piers, including Yeouido, to make reservations more convenient for group passengers.

As part of the winter operating changes, the city will reinforce safety facilities at the piers. Starting in January 2027, it will carry out reinforcement work in phases to install additional mooring posts at seven piers, excluding Seoul Forest. The piers are already being operated in accordance with relevant safety standards, but the work is intended to improve their resilience to extreme weather, such as strong winds and flooding caused by climate change, and strengthen the structural stability of the mooring facilities.

The work will be carried out at Jamsil, Ttukseom, Oksu, Apgujeong, Yeouido, Mangwon and Magok piers; Seoul Forest is excluded because reinforcement work was completed during its construction. Operations at the affected piers and Hangang Bus stops there will be temporarily suspended while work is underway. The schedule for each pier will be announced later on the Hangang Bus website. The city expects the reinforcement to reduce pier movement and the effects of vessel wakes during berthing and unberthing, while also improving the efficiency of facility maintenance and management.

Park Jinyoung, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Future Hangang Headquarters, said, "With demand continuing to grow, as cumulative Hangang Bus ridership has surpassed 800,000, we will continue improving operations to make the service more convenient and safer for passengers. We will work to ensure that residents can use the Hangang Bus more safely and conveniently by adjusting schedules to winter operating conditions and reinforcing pier facilities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.