KTX as economic factor:
High-speed trains in South Korea
High-speed trains play an important role for the development of the economy and society in South Korea – and are a vital driver for decarbonization. The constant development and improvement of the rail network and rail vehicles is therefore high on the political agenda of the densely populated East Asian country. Every year, the comfortable trains carry around 90 million passengers between major cities at speeds of 300 km/h – and with a punctuality rate of more than 99 percent. Components from Voith play a substantial part in this success story.
Ninety-nine percent punctuality thanks to reliable trains
South Korea is a great place to explore by train as a tourist: Almost every corner of the compact, heavily populated country in East Asia can be readily discovered using the more than 4,000 km long dense rail network – 700 km of which are allocated to high-speed trains. Because the trains are comfortable, have modern facilities and are highly reliable, in part due to a punctuality rate of more than 99 percent based on smart scheduling and a negligible number of technical faults. Tourists are recommended to buy the state-owned rail company’s low cost “Korail Pass”, which allows you to use the entire rail network including the KTX high-speed trains.
But of course, the trains are not primarily designed for tourists to enjoy: For many years, the railways in general and the high-speed network in particular have been an important factor for the “economic and social progress” of the country in the 21st century, according to Moon Jae-in, President of South Korea between 2017 and 2022. The expansion of the network and ongoing development of the trains are therefore a key element of South Korea’s political agenda.
High-speed rail lines in South Korea
Rail infrastructure high on the political agenda
Naturally, there are reasons for the immense importance of the high-speed rail network for South Korea: The country is one of the most densely populated in the world, with 513 people per square kilometer. By way of comparison, in Japan it is only 330, in Germany 233 and in Thailand 130. More than three quarters of the population live in urban areas. In addition, as around 70 percent of the country is mountainous, extending the highway network is difficult and expensive.
When the country flourished economically and industrially at a rapid pace from the 1960s onwards, the traditional main traffic arteries between the major cities of Seoul, Busan, Daegu or Ulsan quickly became congested. The expansion of the rail network proved to be the solution that best suited the country’s topographical conditions. The general expansion of the network was supplemented in 1989 by plans for a comprehensive network of high-speed trains running along the axes between the economic centers of the “Asian Tiger”. Since 2003, there has also been a framework act covering the government’s plans to develop the railways.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation, or MOLIT for short, is responsible for its implementation. Since the introduction of the legislation it has been updated every five years.
2004
Launched with French technology
In 2004, South Korea entered the era of high-speed rail on schedule with the first KTX (Korea Train eXpress). Initially, 26 pairs of trains traveled daily between Seoul and Busan. For the first generation trains (KTX I), state-owned operator Korail opted for a slightly modified version of the French TGV-A. Of the total 46 trains ordered, 12 were built in France. The rest were manufactured by Seoul-based Hyundai Rotem, one of the largest train manufacturers in this segment worldwide. South Korea was the eighth country overall, and the first in Asia, to choose the TGV technology, which has a proven track record over many years.
2010
Successful South Korean developments
All subsequent high-speed train generations were developed and built in South Korea. For the development of the first domestic high-speed platform KTX-350 HSRx, which has been running since 1996 and later became the KTX-Sancheon (also known as KTX II), the South Korean government brought together universities and private companies such as Hyundai Rotem. Hyundai Rotem took on the construction of the trains and relied on Voith technologies, for example for a special gear unit arrangement. To this end, the gear units SE-530 and SE-340 were combined. They are connected with one another via a tripod shaft and transmit the enormous force of the eight 1,100 kW motor powers to the wheelset shaft. The powerful motors allow top speeds of more than 300 km/h in scheduled services. In addition, SafeSet couplings from Voith protect the drive line from overload. The striking front ends of the KTX II, which went into service in 2010, are also from Voith.
Tripod joint shaft from Voith
2020
KTX-EUM
In the meantime, South Korea’s high-speed fleet has continued to grow. All trains from the current fleet were developed and built by Hyundai Rotem. The KTX-EUM was introduced in 2020 as a further development of the experimental train HEMU (High-speed Electric Multiple Unit), which reached a speed of 421 km/h during test runs in 2013. The production model of the KTX-EUM allows top speeds of 260 km/h.
Gear unit SE-380 from Voith
2024
KTX-CheongRyong
A further derivation of the HEMU is the KTX-CheongRyong, whose deep blue and gold livery, according to Korail, “is reminiscent of the mythical blue dragon”. Since May 2024, this train has been carrying passengers to their destinations extremely punctually – at speeds of up to 320 km/h. The journey from Seoul to Busan (around 390 km) takes a little more than two hours. From Yongsan, to Gwangju, a distance of 314 km, the journey time is just over one and a half hours.
For the two KTX variants, KTX-EUM and KTX-CheongRyong, Hyundai Rotem is also relying on Voith expertise. The technology group equipped the trains with gear units, couplers and front ends.
Gear unit SE-380 from Voith
Future goal: Across the country in two hours
In recent years, the network for high-speed trains in South Korea has also grown. Today, trains with speeds of more than 250 km/h run over a length of more than 650 km, equivalent to around 16 percent of the country’s entire rail network. By comparison, in Germany around seven percent of the network is labeled high-speed routes. As stated in the official plan of the South Korean Government: “Our goal is to expand the network nationwide so that you can get to anywhere in the country in two hours.” The objective of these efforts is to create a countrywide, integrated conurbation. This is intended to offer the population more economic benefits and maximize regional development.
Climate protection pays off
However, for a long time now, policymakers have not just been considering economic aspects. The public is increasingly becoming aware of rail as an ecological mode of transport. The goal of a climate-neutral railway system is embedded, for example, in the fourth version of the country’s legislation on the development of the railways. In this conjunction, Korail states that “the train consumes 83% less energy than the car, and causes only 10% of its carbon dioxide emissions.” An increase in the share of rail in vehicle traffic of just one percentage point would therefore mean energy savings valued at 600 billion South Korean Won (around USD 424 million) as well as a huge reduction in greenhouse gases. The rail operator therefore plans to convert existing non-electrified train lines into electrified train lines.
In addition, all diesel trains are to be replaced by KTX-EUM vehicles by 2029.
By way of comparison: In China, around 72% of all routes are currently electrified, in Spain 65%, and in the USA just one percent, while Germany is planning to electrify about 75% of the network by 2030. At the same time, South Korea aims to further extend its nationwide railway line network. By 2030, more than a thousand kilometers of new lines are set to make the network even denser. Rail travelers will then be able to travel throughout the country on around 5,400 kilometers. And technology from Voith will also play an important role in ensuring the reliability of the trains.
Although this vision might still seem utopian, South Korea’s infrastructure planners have their sights firmly set on establishing a comprehensive rail network right through to Central Europe. In this context, Korail talks about an “iron Silk Road”.
