A radio communication system includes a user device, a first base station, a second base station, a switching center, and a gateway device. In a handover operation performed in a situation in which a user-plane path has been established through the first base station, the first base station transmits, to the user device, a radio connection reconfiguration message commanding that a radio bearer be established between the second base station and the user device and receives a radio connection reconfiguration complete message transmitted from the user device. The first base station transmits, to the switching center, a path switching request message requesting that the established user-plane path be changed so as to pass through the second base station.