Tourists arriving to Incheon International Airport will be able to directly travel to Yeouido and eastern Seoul, including Gangnam and Songpa, via subway without transferring starting from 2020, officials said Tuesday.

Seoul Metropolitan Government said that the direct connect will be operated between the Incheon Airport Railroad Express and Seoul Subway Line No. 9 from 2020 as part of the government’s efforts to provide better transportation service for tourists and local residents.

The direct connect refers to a train that can run on other subway routes, allowing passengers to travel without the hassle of transferring to other lines.

The AREX, which runs from the airport to Seoul Station in central Seoul through 11 stops, allows passengers to travel between the two destinations in 43 minutes on express trains.

Subway Line No. 9, which is currently under construction, connects the northwestern part of the capital to the eastern region. With the majority of the line now operating, the remaining 13-kilometer-long route is to complete construction soon, officials said. Of the remaining course, a 9-kilometer section ― between Sports Complex Station and VHS Medical Center in eastern Seoul ― will be finished by 2018.

Once Incheon International Airport and the eastern tip of Seoul are connected, the AREX train departing from Incheon will run on the Line No. 9 route from Gimpo International Airport Station, and head to VHS Medical Center Station in the east of the capital via Yeouido and Sports Complex stations, officials said.

By Lee Hyun-jeong  (rene@heraldcorp.com)