Seoul: Rail services nationwide are expected to operate at about 80 percent of normal capacity on Wednesday, following the partial collapse of an overpass near Seoul Station earlier this week. The state-run rail operator announced the revised service schedule as recovery efforts continue.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Seosomun Overpass, which was undergoing demolition in Seoul's western ward of Seodaemun, partially collapsed on Tuesday. The incident resulted in the tragic loss of three lives and left three others injured. The collapse caused significant damage to the power supply for the railway between Seoul Station and Sinchon Station, leading to suspensions or route changes for more than 130 trains on Wednesday.

Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) stated that it anticipates operating a total of 552 rail services on Wednesday, compared to the initially planned 683. This adjustment reflects an operation rate of 80.8 percent for the day. The number of high-speed rail services, including KTX trains, is expected to be reduced from 331 to 245, bringing the operation rate for these services to 74 percent.

In an effort to alleviate crowding at Seoul Station, KORAIL has decided to operate slower Mugunghwa trains on specific sections, such as between the central city of Daejeon and Busan. This measure is aimed at maintaining service availability despite the reduced capacity.

KORAIL mentioned that the decision to resume normal operations will be made after conducting thorough rail and other inspections once city authorities complete recovery work at the site of the collapse. The rail operator has also advised users to check their train schedules regularly, as changes might occur based on the progress of the recovery efforts.