The KTX-Eum, an electric high-speed train, crosses a bridge over the Bukhangang River in Gapyeong-gun County, Gyeonggi-do Province. (Korea Railroad Corp.)

By Yoo Yeon Gyeong

The Korea Railroad Corp. (KoRail) on Dec. 24 said the number of foreign passengers on domestic trains in the year's first 11 months reached 4,823,774, up 65.4% from 2,919,866 year on year.

KoRail attributed the growth of such riders to enhanced convenience features such as the revamp of the multilingual website for online reservations; counters that prioritize foreign passengers; and a smart card for unlimited use of public transportation for set periods.

In July, the first such counters were used at Seoul Station, featuring an interpretation and translation program using an artificial intelligence-based voice recognition program that provides real-time service in 15 languages.

The cumulative number of foreign tourists who used the mass transit card also eclipsed 10 million six months after its release.

In June, KoRail released the Namane pass, which comes in three- and five-day types to allow unlimited rides on subways and buses and use of nationwide mobile networks for set periods. A user can purchase the card online and pick it up at the LG U Plus counter of Incheon International Airport.

Lee Min-seong, head of KoRail's marketing and customer service team, said, "We will overhaul the ticket purchase process and continuously look for areas to improve so that foreign passengers can ride trains more easily and conveniently."

dusrud21@korea.kr