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The Korea Train eXpress (KTX) is South Korea's high-speed rail system, which connects the capital Seoul to Busan and Mokpo. Operated by Korail, the train's technology is largely based on the French TGV system, and has a top speed of 350 km/h, limited to 300 km/h during regular service for safety.[1]
[edit] HistoryAfter 12 years of construction, service on the Gyeongbu Line (connecting Seoul to Busan via Daejeon and Daegu) and the Honam Line (Yongsan to Gwangju and Mokpo) opened on April 1, 2004. Presently using high-speed track for only part of the distance (from Seoul to Daegu), the new service cuts travel time between Seoul and Busan from the Saemaul-ho's 4 hours and 10 minutes to 2 hours and 40 minutes, and between Yongsan and Mokpo from 4 hours and 42 minutes to 2 hours and 58 minutes.[2] The initial KTX-I trainsets, also known as TGV-K,[3] are based on the TGV Atlantique.[4] In all, 46 trains were built - the initial twelve in France by Alstom, the remainder in South Korea by ROTEM.[5] The tracks were built with technical assistance from SNCF technicians.[6] [edit] Ridership   When introduced in April 2004, KTX ridership was an average of 70,900 passengers per day, well short of initial expectations of 200,000. While earning an operational profit of about 2.1 billion won per day, this amount was insufficient to service the loans, as the construction cost grew from an initial estimate of 5 trillion to an actual 18 trillion Korean won (approx. 5 billion to 18 billion in 2004 US dollars). On January 14, 2005, Prime Minister Lee Hae Chan stated that KTX was a political failure. However, ridership and market share increased continuously.[7] On January 9, 2006, Korail reported that average daily ridership in December 2005 had reached 104,600, an increase of almost 50%, with daily operating profit up to 2.8 billion won and financial breakeven expected by early 2007.[8] The 100-millionth rider was carried after 1116 days of operation on April 22, 2007, generating an income of 2.78 trillion won.[9] KTX finances moved into the black in 2007.[10] In 2008, the average daily ridership was 104,000.[11] For comparison, the latest single-day ridership record is 183,000 passengers, achieved on 26 January 2009, the Korean New Year.[12] The KTX celebrated five years of operation on April 22 2009.[13] In five years, KTX trains traveled 98.99 million kilometers, and carried 173,450,000 passengers.[13]
For comparison, the French TGV carried 13.77 million passengers in its fourth year of service, though the population of the urban areas served was less than the population of cities served by KTX. The KTX has also proved highly popular with tourists and visitors on business.[15] As noted with the TGV[16] and Eurostar[17] high speed train services abroad, the KTX achieved a similar, significant modal shift in its favour at the expense of other transport modes.
By 2007, provincial airports suffered from deficits after a drop in the number of passengers attributed to the KTX.[20] With lower ticket prices, by 2008, KTX has swallowed up around half of the airlines' previous demand between Seoul and Busan. Though some low-cost carriers failed and withdrew from the route, others still planned to enter competition even at the end of 2008.[21] [edit] Accidents and technical issues
[edit] Future[edit] Network Expansion
Construction of the second phase of the Gyeongbu Line, linking Daegu to Busan, started in June 2002, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2010.[4] The new section follows a different, more easterly route, with new stations planned for Gyeongju and Ulsan. A further improvement of the travel time to 2 hour and 10 minutes between Seoul and Busan is expected.[28] High-speed track for the Honam Line from Seoul via Osong to Gwangju and Mokpo is also planned, with construction to start in 2009 for tentative completion in 2014.[4] KTX services running partly on ordinary track are planned for the Jeolla Line to Suncheon and Expo 2012 site Yeosu, branching from the main Honam Line at Iksan.[29] This line has a top speed of only 120 km/h, currently being increased to 180 km/h.[4] Operations may start as soon as 2009. The Samnangjin-Jinju line is also being doubled and electrified to allow KTX operations by 2014.[4] [edit] New Rolling Stock On December 16, 2004, the Korean-made HSR-350x (Hanvit 350) achieved an experimental top speed of 352.4 kilometers per hour.[30] In 2006, Hyundai Rotem won an order for 10 KTX-II trainsets, later increased to 19, destined for the Seoul-Mokpo, Iksan-Yeosu and Milyang-Masan lines.[31] Design speed is 330 km/h, the targeted service speed is 300 km/h. The 10-car trains will consist of eight passenger cars and two power cars at both ends, and seat 363 passengers in two classes.[32] Hyundai Rotem has described the trains as the "commercial outcome" of the HSR-350x, not a TGV derivative[31], and says the trains are 87% Korean technology.[33] The non-Korean contributions include power electronics from IXYS,[34] design from MBD Design[35] and front ends from Voith.[36] On November 25, 2008, the first KTX-II set was revealed to the public in a roll-out ceremony at the Hyundai Rotem factory in Changwon.[37] The first six trainsets are scheduled to be delivered in June 2009.[31] [edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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