Korea Train Express

The Korea Train eXpress (short: KTX ) is a South Korean high-speed train. Operator of the train is the South Korean railway company Korail. The technique of KTX is largely based on the French TGV. It runs so far on the Gyeongbu line linking Seoul and Busan, and on the Honam line that runs from Seoul to Gwangju and Mokpo.

History

Between 1973 and 1984 a feasibility study was prepared. In May 1989, the construction of the line between Seoul and Busan was decided to set up in December of the same year, a 54 - member working group in the management of the state railway. The large-scale route was established in June 1990. In February 1991, a planning group for the project was established.

In order to realize the concept of lines and rolling competed in 1991 German and French suppliers. In this framework, an ICE 1 abroad was shown in February and March 1991, for the first time. The award of the contract has been postponed several times.

In December 1991, a law was passed over the link building company, which was founded in March 1992 with seven departments and 379 employees. In June 1992, the construction of a 57.2 km long test section between Chonan and Taejon began. In June 1994, followed by the selection of the system and the signing of the Treaty on the route.

Beginning of 1998 were known delays and cost increases. The opening of the line between Seoul and Busan should be delayed accordingly by 2005, the costs increase by 50 per cent to the equivalent of 34.5 billion DM. In the summer of 1998, further delays due to a financial crisis were known. A new government in Seoul agreed to the continued construction only under the condition that the costs would be significantly reduced. In addition, it was examined, the southern section ( between Taejon and Busan) fail to realize and instead expand the existing line and electrify. In June 1998, a two-stage implementation of the new line was announced: The 250- km-long northern section should go as planned in 2004 in operation, the southern sector should, however, be built until 2006. For the southern section of a construction period of six years was provided.

On 16 December 1999, the section between Seoul and Busan was officially opened in the presence Dae-jung of South Korean President Kim.

On 1 April 2004, the scheduled time of operation was recorded. Between Seoul and Busan wrong about 26 pairs of trains per day, in the course to Mokpo drove first seven pairs of trains daily. In the first few days of a number of trains between Seoul and Busan were fully booked. The official opening of the Gyeongbu and Honam the route was, after twelve years of development, on 31 March 2004.

With around 100,000 passengers per day, the route takes about half of the rail transport passengers of the country (as of 2008).

So far, only a portion of the routes is suitable for high speeds. A complete range expansion is expected for 2010, then the travel time is expected to fall on the Gyeongbu line for an hour and 56 minutes. On 16 December 2004, the KTX - unit HSR - 350x achieved in an experiment 352.4 km / h

The second-stage start-up that includes, in particular the new line section Dong- Daegu - Busan - Shingyeongju, should be the end of 2010 (as of September 2010). In a further step, then the existing line Seoul - Daejeon - Mokpo should be supplemented by a new high-speed route.

KTX I

The trains were referred from the end of 1999 as KTX and are the first generation of high speed trains in South Korea. Twelve of the 46 multiple units were built by Alstom in France, the rest were - made ​​in South Korea - with the help of Alstom. South Korea became the eighth country that relies on TGV technology; it was also the first Asian country that has opted for this technology.

The train reaches a cruising speed of over 300 km / h It does this by twelve electric motors that make each 1,130 kW. Overall, 13,560 kW can be achieved than total output, which corresponds to about 18,200 hp. The KTX I is a TGV -A model, which was slightly modified substantially. A total of 46 trains will be built. The first twelve are or were produced in France by Alstom, the remaining 34 units will be manufactured by the South Korean company Hyundai Rotem. Also the track construction has been realized with the help of the French SNCF engineers. The next generation of KTX HSR - 350x is based on the TGV -R. About 80 % of the train are produced in South Korea. The first units have been put into service in 2008.

KTX II

In early March 2010 began the commercial use of the KTX II designated trains. Ten specimens developed by Hyundai Rotem trains over almost 15 years to be by the end of 2010. They are, according to sources, a top speed of 330, designed 350 or 360 km / h and operate initially with a speed of 300 km / h A third generation of the KTX is in development; these guidelines aim to speed of 400 km / h.

The trains were derived from the HSR - 350x.