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AREX Airport Railroad: Express vs All-Stop Train, Step by Step (2026)

Checked against official sources on October 20, 2026

Airport Railroad station platform with direction signs and a few commuters

Summary

AREX runs two trains between Incheon Airport and Seoul Station. As of October 2026 the express costs ₩13,000 for adults, takes 43 minutes from Terminal 1 or 51 from Terminal 2, and needs a ticket bought before boarding. The all-stop train takes T-money, costs ₩4,750 from Terminal 1 or ₩5,350 from Terminal 2, and takes about 59 or 66 minutes.

At a glance

Express fare
₩13,000
Express time
43 min (T1) / 51 min (T2)
All-stop fare
₩4,750 (T1) / ₩5,350 (T2)
All-stop time
59 min (T1) / 66 min (T2)
Pay with
Ticket (express), T-money (all-stop)

Step by step

AREX: express or all-stop train

Step 1 of 12 · Choose your train

1Go to the Transportation Center, B1

AREX is on level B1 of the Transportation Center

교통센터gyotongsenteoTransportation Center

Read all steps as text

  1. 1. Go to the Transportation Center, B1

    AREX is on level B1 of the Transportation Center

    Korean you will see: 교통센터 = Transportation Center

  2. 2. Express or all-stop?

    Two trains, one line: express and all-stop

    Korean you will see: 직통열차 = Express train

  3. 3. Compare fares and times

    Express: ₩13,000, 43 min (T1) / 51 min (T2), nonstop

    Korean you will see: 13,000원 = ₩13,000

  4. 4. Find where to buy

    Buy at a machine, the service center, or the AREX site/app

    Korean you will see: 직통열차 고객안내센터 = Express train customer service center

  5. 5. Choose language and station

    Choose a language: Korean, English, Chinese or Japanese

    Korean you will see: 도착역 = Destination

  6. 6. Choose passengers and seat

    One purchase: up to 8 adults and 4 children

    Korean you will see: 인원선택 = Number of passengers

  7. 7. Pay by cash or card

    Pay with cash or a credit/debit card

    Korean you will see: 현금이나 신용카드를 넣어주십시오 = Insert cash or a credit card

  8. 8. Take your ticket

    Take your ticket when the screen says so

    Korean you will see: 승차권을 반드시 가져가십시오 = Be sure to take your ticket

  9. 9. Scan the QR code at the gate

    Scan the QR code at the express gate

    Korean you will see: 승차권 QR코드를 대 주세요 = Hold the ticket's QR code here

  10. 10. T‑money won't open it

    T‑money will not open the express gate

    Korean you will see: 승차권을 확인해 주세요 = Please check your ticket

  11. 11. Wait on the platform

    Be on the platform 3 minutes before departure

    Korean you will see: 직통열차 타는 곳 = Express train platform

  12. 12. All-stop: tap T‑money

    All-stop: tap T‑money at the all-stop gate

    Korean you will see: 일반열차 = All-stop train

Korean for this

  • 공항철도 어디서 타요?

    gonghangcheoldo eodiseo tayo?

    Where do I take the airport train (AREX)?

All Korean phrases

Details

AREX, the 공항철도gonghang cheoldoAirport Railroad, connects both Incheon Airport terminals with Gimpo Airport and Seoul Station. It runs two kinds of train on the same line, and they work differently: the express needs its own ticket, the all-stop train takes your T-money card. This guide covers both, in both directions.

Before you start

  • Know your terminal. Your ticket or airline shows Terminal 1 or Terminal 2. The express takes 8 minutes longer from Terminal 2.
  • Choose a train. The 직통열차jiktong yeolchaExpress train runs nonstop to Seoul Station. The 일반열차ilban yeolchaAll-stop train also stops at Gimpo Airport, Digital Media City, Hongik Univ., Gongdeok and other stations.
  • Have the right payment. Express tickets take cash and credit or debit cards, including foreign Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners, American Express and UnionPay. Transit cards are not accepted for the express. The all-stop train takes T-money or a single-journey ticket; see How to use a T-money card.
  • Check your luggage. AREX's terms allow up to two items per person, and no single item of 32 kg or more, or 158 cm or more in total length, width and height.

Step by step

Step 1 — Go down to the Transportation Center

At both terminals AREX is in the 교통센터gyotong senteoTransportation Center on basement level 1 (B1). Follow the 공항철도gonghang cheoldoAirport Railroad signs from the arrivals hall. At Terminal 1, AREX's guide puts the express gate on the west side and the all-stop gate on the east side, with the express ticket machines next to the express gate.

Step 2 — Buy an express ticket (express only)

You can buy at the 직통열차 고객안내센터jiktong yeolcha gogaek annae senteoExpress train customer service center on B1, at an express ticket machine, or on the AREX website or app. All express seats are reserved.

AREX's guide shows these steps on the ticket machine:

  1. Choose a language: Korean, English, Chinese or Japanese.
  2. Work through the tabs at the top: 도착역dochak-yeokDestination, 열차선택yeolcha seontaekChoose train, 인원선택inwon seontaekNumber of passengers, 좌석선택jwaseok seontaekChoose seat, 구매방식gumae bangsikPayment method and 결제금액gyeolje geumaekAmount to pay.
  3. Pay when the screen says 현금이나 신용카드를 넣어주십시오hyeongeumina sinyongkadeureul neoeojusipsioInsert cash or a credit card.
  4. Take the ticket when it says 승차권을 반드시 가져가십시오seungchagwoneul bandeusi gajyeogasipsioBe sure to take your ticket.

One purchase covers up to 8 adults and 4 children. The ticket carries a QR code that you scan at the express gate. AREX asks you to be on the platform 3 minutes before departure. Wheelchair seats are sold only at the station.

AREX's own sample screen still shows an old fare of ₩11,000. The price adults pay in October 2026 is ₩13,000.

Step 3 — Or tap T-money for the all-stop train

For the all-stop train, go to the all-stop gate and tap your T-money card on the reader, as on the subway. Without a card, buy a single-journey ticket from the station machine: it costs ₩100 more than the card fare, plus a ₩500 deposit that you get back at your destination (see Seoul subway guide).

Passengers with suitcases inside an AREX train

Step 4 — Ride and change trains

The express goes straight to Seoul Station, where you can change to Line 1, Line 4, the Gyeongui-Jungang Line and KTX trains. AREX's guide puts the Seoul Station express platform deep underground, on B7, so allow time to walk.

The all-stop train connects with the subway along the way. Times from Terminal 2, per Incheon Airport:

Station Connecting lines Minutes from T2
Gimpo Airport Lines 5 and 9, Gimpo Goldline, Seohae Line 44
Magongnaru Line 9 47
Digital Media City Line 6, Gyeongui-Jungang Line 54
Hongik Univ. Line 2, Gyeongui-Jungang Line 58
Gongdeok Lines 5 and 6, Gyeongui-Jungang Line 62
Seoul Station Lines 1 and 4, Gyeongui-Jungang Line, KTX 66

Tap out at the gate when you leave or change to the subway, so the transfer counts.

Step 5 — Going back to the airport

From Seoul Station, the express runs from 06:00 to 23:00 and the all-stop train to Terminal 2 from 05:20 to 23:40. The 24:00 all-stop train goes only as far as Geomam, not to the airport.

If you fly with a participating airline, you can check in at the 도심공항터미널dosim gonghang teomineolCity Airport Terminal on B2 at Seoul Station and clear departure immigration before you board the express. AREX lists these conditions in October 2026:

  • Only for travelers with a same-day express ticket. You scan its QR code at the terminal gate.
  • Check-in from 05:20 to 19:00 (last entry 18:50). Departure immigration from 05:30 to 19:00.
  • Finish at least 3 hours before departure for Terminal 1 flights and 3 hours 20 minutes for Terminal 2.
  • Airlines listed: Jeju Air, T'way and Eastar Jet (Terminal 1); Korean Air, Asiana, Jin Air, Air Busan and Air Seoul (Terminal 2). Some routes, such as flights to the United States, are excluded.
  • No sports gear or instruments that need special handling, and nothing over 150 cm.

At Incheon you then use a dedicated exit lane on 3F. Check the AREX page before you go, because the airline list changes.

Fares and times (as of October 2026)

Express All-stop
Adult fare to/from Seoul Station ₩13,000 ₩4,750 (T1) / ₩5,350 (T2) by card
Child fare ₩9,500 (ages 6–12) discounted by card
Journey time 43 min (T1) / 51 min (T2) 59 min (T1) / 66 min (T2)
How to pay ticket bought before boarding T-money, or single-journey ticket (+₩100, ₩500 deposit)
First and last from the airport T1 05:24–22:48; T2 05:16–22:40 to Seoul Station: T1 05:14–23:38; T2 05:08–23:32
First and last from Seoul Station 06:00–23:00 to T2: 05:20–23:40
Seats all reserved —

AREX's timetable until 22 October 2026 has 26 express trains each way, roughly every 35 to 50 minutes. From 23 October 2026 there are 28 each way, roughly every 30 to 45 minutes, with the same first and last trains.

Online you will see older express prices. ₩9,500 was the adult fare until 6 October 2023 and ₩11,000 from 7 October 2023. AREX also prints a "regular fare" of ₩18,500 (T1) and ₩19,100 (T2) from 1 July 2026, but the price adults pay is ₩13,000. Check the official AREX site before you travel.

Common problems

The express gate will not open with T-money. The express needs a ticket with a QR code. Buy one at the machine or the customer service center first.

You are at the wrong terminal. AREX runs between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 in about 6 minutes for ₩1,050. A shuttle bus also links the terminals, about every 10 minutes from 05:00 to 23:00.

The last all-stop train does not go all the way. Late at night some trains end early. The 23:50 from Terminal 2 and the 23:56 from Terminal 1 run only to Digital Media City.

Your Climate Card does not work at the airport. It covers AREX only between Seoul Station and Gimpo Airport. Since 13 September 2024 you can ride to Incheon Airport and exit there, but you cannot board at the airport stations with it, and it does not cover the express.

Your bag is too big. Items of 32 kg or more, or 158 cm or more in total size, are not allowed on board. Staff may approve larger items for passengers flying the same day.

Questions and answers

Is the express worth ₩13,000?

It is the faster, nonstop option with a reserved seat, and it suits you if your hotel is near Seoul Station or on Line 1 or Line 4. If you are staying near Hongik Univ., Gongdeok or DMC, the all-stop train gets you there directly for less.

Can I use T-money on the express?

No. AREX's terms list cash, cards, cheques and coupons for express tickets, and say you must buy a ticket before boarding.

Do I need to book the express in advance?

No. You can buy at the station. Online booking opens two months ahead if you want a specific train.

Is there a group discount?

No. AREX's terms say its multi-person express ticket has no discount.

Can I check in at Seoul Station?

Yes, if your airline takes part and you have a same-day express ticket. See Step 5.

Which is better from the airport: AREX or the bus?

It depends on your luggage, arrival time and hotel. Compare them in Incheon Airport to Seoul.

Official sources (15)

Last checked October 20, 2026Next check due January 18, 2027

Rules can change. Confirm on the official site before you travel.

Next stepHow to Buy, Top Up and Refund a T-money Card in Korea (2026)

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