Gyeongbu Line (KTX)
Encyclopedia
The Gyeongbu High Speed Railway (Gyeongbu HSR) between Seoul
and Busan
is South Korea
's first high-speed rail
line. KTX
high-speed trains operate three sections of the line: on April 1, 2004, the first between a junction near Geumcheon-gu Office Station, Seoul and a junction at Daejeonjochajang Station
north of Daejeon
, and a second between a junction at Okcheon Station
, southeast of Daejeon, and a junction near Jicheon Station
, north of Daegu
entered service; then on November 1, 2010, the third section, between a junction west of Daegu and Busan became operational. The missing gaps across the urban areas of Daejeon and Daegu are in construction for an expected opening in 2014, separate tracks into Seoul Station are planned. The temporary ends of the three sections are connected to the parallel conventional Gyeongbu Line
by tracks that will serve as interconnector branches upon the completion of the entire line.
As of November 2010, two train services use the line: the Gyeongbu KTX Line, with trains running along the Gyeongbu HSR or the parallel Gyeongbu Line only; and the Honam KTX Line, with trains leaving the Gyeongbu HSR at Daejeon and continuing on the conventional Honam Line
. A number of other high-speed lines branching from the Gyeongbu HSR are in construction or planned, and several more KTX services using connecting conventional rail lines are also planned.
-Busan
axis is Korea's main traffic corridor. In 1995, it housed 73.3% of Korea's population, and conducted 70% of the freight traffic and 66% of the passenger traffic. With both the Gyeongbu Expressway
and Korail
's Gyeongbu Line
congested, the government saw the need of another mode of transport.
The first proposals for a second Seoul-Busan railway line originated from a study prepared between 1972 and 1974 by experts of France's SNCF
and Japan Railway Technical Service on a request from the IBRD
. A more detailed 1978-1981 study by KAIST
, focusing on the needs of freight transport, also came to the conclusion that separating off long-distance passenger traffic on a high speed passenger railway would be advisable, thus it was taken up in Korea's next Five Year Plan
.
During the next years, several feasibility studies were prepared for a high-speed line with a Seoul-Busan travel time of 1 hour 30 minutes, which gave positive results. In 1989, following the go-ahead for the project, the institutions to manage its preparation were established: the Gyeongbu High Speed Electric Railway & New International Airport Committee, and the High Speed Electric Railway Planning Department (later renamed HSR Project Planning Board). In 1990, the foreseen Seoul-Busan travel time was 1 hour 51 minutes, the project was to be implemented by August 1998, and costs were estimated at 5,846.2 billion South Korean won
in 1988 prices, of which 4.8 trillion won was foreseen for the high-speed line itself, and the remainder for rolling stock.
In 1991, bids were called for the supply and technology transfer of the core system technology, which in addition to the rolling stock also included the catenary
and signalling of the line. On August 26, 1991, three competitors submitted bids: consortia led by GEC-Alsthom (today Alstom
, one of the builders of France's TGV
trains; Siemens
, one of the builders of Germany's ICE trains; and Mitsubishi
, one of the builders of Japan's Shinkansen
trains.
Once planning progressed, in March 1992, the Korea High Speed Rail Construction Authority (KHSRCA) was established as a separate body with own budget responsible for the project. In the 1993 reappraisal of the project, the finishing date was pushed out to May 2002, and estimated costs grew to 10.74 trillion won. 82% of the cost increase was due to a 90% increase of unit costs in the construction sector (mostly labour costs but also material costs), the remainder due to alignment changes (longer route, more stations), though some city tunnels were dropped. To finance the project, the option of a Build-Operate-Transfer
(BOT) franchise was rejected as too risky. Funding included direct government grants (35%), government (10%) and foreign (18%) loans, domestic bond sales (31%) and private capital (6%).
to Daejeon
, which was intended for use as test track.
Construction started before the choice of the main technology supplier, thus alignment design was set out to be compatible with all choices. Superstructure-related design specifications included a minimum curve radius of 7000 m (22,966 ft), a maximum gradient of 1.5%, which was later increased to 2.5%, an open line cross section including two tracks with centerlines 5 m (16.4 ft) apart, and a two-track tunnel cross sectional area of 107 m² (1,152 sq ft) 107 m². Of the planned 411 km (255.4 mi) line, 152.73 km (94.9 mi) would be laid on bridges, and another 138.68 km (86.2 mi) in tunnels. However, plans were changed repeatedly, in particular those for city sections, following disputes with local governments. Planned operating speed was also reduced from 350 km/h (217 mph) to the 300 km/h (186 mph) maximum of high-speed trains on the market, thus, with project variants of up to 430.7 km (267.6 mi) line length, Seoul–Busan travel times of up to 2 hours 4 minutes were projected.
Construction suffered from early quality problems. After an independent safety inspection in 1996, repairs were necessary on 190 locations, and even partial reconstruction was needed at another 39 locations.
Meanwhile, the bidding of the core system technology contract progressed through five rounds of evaluation, and the French and German consortia submitted final bids on June 15, 1993. KHSRCA announced that the GEC-Alsthom-led consortium is the preferred bidder on August 20, 1993, and the contract was signed on June 14, 1994. The consortium consisted of GEC-Alsthom and its its Korean subsidiary Eukorail.
The technology was almost identical to that found on the high-speed lines of France's TGV system. Track-related design specifications included a design speed of 350 km/h (217 mph), standard gauge
, continuously welded rails with UIC
60 profile (60 kg/m), 2.6 m (8.5 ft) wide concrete sleepers, 35 cm high ballast bed, swing-nose switches
for high-speed passage, 25 kV/60 Hz electrification, standard French TVM 430 automatic cab signalling and centralised train control.
Well ahead of the opening of the Gyeongbu HSR for regular service, in December 1999, 34.4 km (21.4 mi) of the test section was finished to enable trials with trains. The test section extended to 57.2 km (35.5 mi) on June 26, 2000.
After further design changes, the high-speed tracks were finished over a length of 223.6 km (138.9 mi), with 15 km (9.3 mi) of interconnections to the conventional Gyeongbu Line, including at a short interruption at Daejeon. The high-speed section itself included 84 viaducts with a combined length of 83078 m (51.622 mi), among them the 6844 m (22,454.1 ft) Pungse Viaduct; and 46 tunnels with a combined length of 75621 m (46.989 mi), among them the 10290 m (33,759.8 ft) Iljik Tunnel and the 9970.5 m (32,711.6 ft) Hwanghak Tunnel. Hwanghak Tunnel became Korea's longest bored tunnel once the line opened.
The project budget also included the electrification of the short connecting section at Daejeon and the Daegu-Busan section of the existing Gyeongbu Line, as well as the entire Honam Line from Daejeon to Mokpo. The Seoul–Busan route length was reduced from 441.7 to 408.5 km (274.5 to 253.8 mi).
The infrastructure and rolling stock were built in the framework of a technology transfer agreement between core system supplier Alstom and local companies, with Alstom's part of the project amounting to US$2.1 billion resp. €1.5 billion. Other foreign contributors included SNCF
(training and supervision of infrastructure and operations), Pandrol
and Vossloh
(rail fastenings), and Cegelec
(catenary). Their domestic partners for the infrastructure parts were LG Industrial Ssystems
and Samsung
(signalling and train control); ILJIN
and LG Cable
(catenary). SYSTRA
and Bechtel
was also involved in project management.
After 12 years of construction, service using the first phase of the Gyeongbu HSR started on April 1, 2004.
, (between Daejeon and Daegu. Consequently, the budget was increased to 7,190.0 billion won, and the government's share of the funding was increased by 5 percentage points to 50%.
Construction started in June 2002. The 128.1 km (79.6 mi) of new tracks, consisting of the 4 km (2.5 mi) South Daegu Interconnection, 122.8 km (76.3 mi) of high-speed tracks, and a 1.3 km (0.807784557644749 mi) low-speed section connecting into Busan Station, follow a long curve to the northeast of the existing Gyeongbu Line, with new stations for Gyeongju
and Ulsan
built well outside of the city centres.. The Seoul–Busan travel distance along the second phase route is 423.8 km (263.3 mi). The section includes 54 viaducts with a total length of 23.4 km (14.5 mi) and 38 tunnels with a total length of 74.2 km (46.1 mi). The two largest structures are the 20323 m (66,676.5 ft) long Geomjeung Tunnel, under Mount Geumjeong
at the Busan end of the line; and the 13,270 m long Wonhyo Tunnel, under Mount Cheonseong south-west of Ulsan, which will be the longest and second longest tunnels in Korea once the line is opened.
The original plans foresaw a second-phase opening in 2008, with new trains cruising at a top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph) cutting Seoul-Busan travel times to just 1 hours 56 minutes. However, construction was delayed, and trains with higher top speeds weren't yet available. The main cause of delay was a long dispute over the environmental impact assessment of the Wonhyo Tunnel, which passes under a wetland area. The dispute gained nationwide and international attention due to the repeated hunger strikes of a Buddhist nun, led to a suspension of works in 2005, and only ended with a supreme court ruling in June 2006.
For the second phase of the Gyeongbu HSR, the RHEDA 2000 ballastless track system of German manufacturer RAIL.ONE was chosen. However, construction faced quality problems concerning sleepers
and fastenings. In February 2009, cracks were found on 332 newly laid concrete sleepers on the 96.9 km (60.2 mi) long section between Daegu
and Ulsan
, the cause of which was improper water insulation. Meanwhile, it was revealed that the Pandrol and Vossloh clips chosen for the rail fastenings were submitted to indoor tests only, omitting field tests, and the Pandrol clips saw no prior use on another high-speed line.
With the exception of the sections across Daejeon and Daegu, the second phase went into service on November 1, 2010. By that time, 4,905.7 billion won was spent out of a second phase budget, or 17,643.4 billion won out of the total.
The two sections across the urban areas of Daejeon and Daegu, altogether 40.9 km (25.4 mi), will be finished by 2014, and will reduce the Seoul–Busan travel distance to 417.5 km (259.4 mi). As of October 2010, the total cost of the second phase was estimated at 7,945.4 billion won, that for the entire project at 20,728.2 billion won.
, and is meant to accelerate Honam KTX services to Mokpo
. The first stage from Osong to Gwangju is in construction since December 2009, and is to be opened in 2014.
A branch from the existing Gyeongbu HSR near its northern end to Suseo-dong
, a southeastern ward of Seoul, was in the original plans of the Honam HSR. The Suseo High-Speed Railway was announced as a separate project, on a route from a junction with the Gyeongbu HSR at Pyeongtaek
to Suseo, on December 30, 2009. The goal was to complete the project by 2014.
Singyeongju Station
on the second phase section of the Gyeongbu HSR is to become a junction with the re-aligned Ulsan-Gyeongju-Pohang section of the Donghae Nambu Line
, which is to open in 2014. On April 23, 2009, the project was approved by the government and a ground-breaking ceremony was held. In January 2010, the early completion of the Pohang branch was confirmed by the government.
On September 1, 2010, the government released a new strategic plan, with the aim to reduce travel times for 95% of Korea to under 2 hours by 2020. Longer-term plans under consideration included a branch from the Gyeongbu HSR to Jinju and further to the southern coast.
Once complete, the Gyeongbu HSR will directly connect to four existing main stations in major cities, which KTX trains currently reach on tracks of the conventional Gyeongbu Line:
trains reaching a maximum speed of 300 km/h (186 mph). In response to frequent passenger complaints regarding speeds on the video display staying just below the advertised 300 mark, operating top speed was raised to 305 km/h (190 mph) on November 26, 2007. From March 2, 2010, KTX-II
(KTX-Sancheon) trains began to use the line in commercial service with the same top speed.
As of 2011, all KTX services routed along the line also use sections of connected conventional mainlines.
The first incident on the high-speed line happened on February 11, 2011, when a KTX-Sancheon train bound for Seoul from Busan derailed on a switch in the Iljik Tunnel, 500 m (1,640.4 ft) before Gwangmyeong Station, when travelling at around 90 km/h (55.9 mph). No casualties were reported, only one passenger suffered slight injury, but KTX traffic was blocked until repairs for 29 hours. Preliminary investigation indicated that the accident resulted from a series of human errors. Because workers improperly repaired a point along the tracks. Investigators found that the derailment was caused by a switch malfunction triggered by a loose nut from track, and suspected that a repairman failed to tighten it during maintenance the previous night. The switch's detectors signalled a problem earlier, however, a second maintenance crew failed to find the loose nut and didn't properly communicate the fact to the control center, which then allowed the train on the track. The rail union criticised Korail's use of hired repairmen. there were no problems with the train according to investigation.
Korail met local demands by introducing additional KTX services between Seoul and Dongdaegu in June 2007, which left the Gyeongbu HSR between Daejeon and Dongdaegu to serve Gimcheon
and Gumi on the conventional line. These services were discontinued with the opening of the Gimcheon-Gumi Station
on the high-speed line. New services introduced with the same timetable change leave the Gyeongbu HSR on the Seoul–Daejeon section to serve Suwon
.
With the opening of the Daegu-Busan section on November 1, 2010, the fastest Seoul–Busan services, using all of the Gyeongbu HSR with intermediate stops in Daejeon and Dongdaegu only, reduced the shortest travel times by 22 minutes to 2 hours 18 minutes. From December 1, 2010, Korail added a pair of non-stop trains with a travel time of 2 hours 8 minutes. With the completion of the sections across urban Daejeon and Daegu, a further improvement of the four-stop travel time to 2 hour and 10 minutes between Seoul and Busan is expected.
The frequency of Gyeongbu HSR services was 94 daily runs when the service started in April 2004. Three and a half months later, trains running on some days of the week only were introduced, while overall frequency was reduced. Since then, total weekly train frequency was increased with every timetable change, and fluctuates between a minimum of 120 services from Tuesdays to Thursdays to a maximum of 154 services on Saturdays in the January 17, 2011 timetable.
On the short distance relation between Seoul and Cheonan, due to the short distance and the location of the KTX station outside the city, KTX gained only a very modest market share, with little effect on the overall modal share of intercity rail. On the medium-distance relation from Seoul to Daejeon, KTX gained market share mostly at the expense of normal express services on the Gyeongbu Line, and helped to increase the total share of rail to a third. On the long-distance relations from Seoul to Daegu and Busan, KTX took both the majority of the market and the bulk of rail passengers, increasing the total share of rail from around two-fifths to a market dominating two-thirds by 2008.
to terminate at Haengsin Station
, a stop added due to the station's vicinity to the main KTX maintenance facility, Goyang depot.
Passenger surveys in the first months found that the limited capacity of bus connections and the lack of subway connections for intermediate stations, especially the newly built stations Gwangmyeong and Cheonan-Asan, was the problem mentioned most often. A better connection to Cheonan-Asan Station was provided by an extension of Seoul Subway Line 1
along the Janghang Line
, opened on December 14, 2008. Gwangmyeong Station was linked to the same subway line by a shuttle service on December 15, 2006, but it made little impact due to the long time differences between KTX and subway train schedules.
Services using the Gyeongbu HSR between Seoul and Dongdaegu, and diverging to the Gyeongbu Line to reach the Gyeongjeon Line, are operated as the Gyeongjeon KTX service, which started on December 15, 2010, initially reaching Masan with a minimum travel time of 2 hours 54 minutes. This service is to be extended to Jinju by 2012.
From 2012, Korail plans to extend some KTX services to Incheon International Airport
on the AREX
line. The planned travel time between Incheon International Airport and Busan is 2 hours 41 minutes.
From 2015, a KTX service between Seoul and Pohang, diverging from the Gyeongbu HSR to the Donghae Nambu Line at Singyeongju Station, is planned to cut travel time by 33 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes.
achieved the South Korean rail speed record of 352.4 km/h (219 mph) on the line.
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
and Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
is South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
's first high-speed rail
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
line. KTX
Korea Train Express
Korea Train eXpress is South Korea's high-speed rail system, operated by Korail. Construction began on the first section of the high-speed line from Seoul to Busan in 1992. The project was later split into two phases and combined with conventional line upgrades, adding a second route from Seoul to...
high-speed trains operate three sections of the line: on April 1, 2004, the first between a junction near Geumcheon-gu Office Station, Seoul and a junction at Daejeonjochajang Station
Daejeonjochajang Station
Daejeonjochajang Station is a railway station on Gyeongbu Line....
north of Daejeon
Daejeon
Daejeon is South Korea's fifth largest metropolis and the provincial capital of Chungnam. Located in the center of the country, Daejeon had a population of over 1.5 million in 2010. It is at the crossroads of Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu Expressway, and Honam Expressway. Within the...
, and a second between a junction at Okcheon Station
Okcheon Station
Okcheon Station is a railway station on Gyeongbu Line....
, southeast of Daejeon, and a junction near Jicheon Station
Jicheon Station
Jicheon Station is a railway station on Gyeongbu Line....
, north of Daegu
Daegu
Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the...
entered service; then on November 1, 2010, the third section, between a junction west of Daegu and Busan became operational. The missing gaps across the urban areas of Daejeon and Daegu are in construction for an expected opening in 2014, separate tracks into Seoul Station are planned. The temporary ends of the three sections are connected to the parallel conventional Gyeongbu Line
Gyeongbu Line
The Gyeongbu Line is the most important railway line in South Korea and one of the oldest. It was constructed by Japan in 1905, connecting Seoul to Suwon, Daejeon, Daegu, and Busan. The Gyeongbu Line is by far the most heavily travelled rail line in South Korea...
by tracks that will serve as interconnector branches upon the completion of the entire line.
As of November 2010, two train services use the line: the Gyeongbu KTX Line, with trains running along the Gyeongbu HSR or the parallel Gyeongbu Line only; and the Honam KTX Line, with trains leaving the Gyeongbu HSR at Daejeon and continuing on the conventional Honam Line
Honam Line
The Honam Line is a major railway line serving the Honam region in South Korea. The line is served by frequent passenger trains from Seoul to Gwangju and Mokpo.-History:...
. A number of other high-speed lines branching from the Gyeongbu HSR are in construction or planned, and several more KTX services using connecting conventional rail lines are also planned.
Origins
The SeoulSeoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
-Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
axis is Korea's main traffic corridor. In 1995, it housed 73.3% of Korea's population, and conducted 70% of the freight traffic and 66% of the passenger traffic. With both the Gyeongbu Expressway
Gyeongbu Expressway
The Gyeongbu Expressway is the second oldest and most heavily travelled expressway in South Korea, connecting Seoul to Suwon, Daejeon, Gumi, Daegu, and Busan. It has the route number 1, signifying its role as South Korea's most important expressway...
and Korail
Korail
Korea Railroad Corporation , promoted as Korail , is the national railroad operator in South Korea.Korail operates passenger and freight trains throughout South Korea...
's Gyeongbu Line
Gyeongbu Line
The Gyeongbu Line is the most important railway line in South Korea and one of the oldest. It was constructed by Japan in 1905, connecting Seoul to Suwon, Daejeon, Daegu, and Busan. The Gyeongbu Line is by far the most heavily travelled rail line in South Korea...
congested, the government saw the need of another mode of transport.
The first proposals for a second Seoul-Busan railway line originated from a study prepared between 1972 and 1974 by experts of France's SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
and Japan Railway Technical Service on a request from the IBRD
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is one of five institutions that compose the World Bank Group. The IBRD is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by World War II. Now, its mission has expanded to fight...
. A more detailed 1978-1981 study by KAIST
KAIST
KAIST , is located in Daedeok Innopolis, Daejeon, South Korea. KAIST was established by the Korean government in 1971 as the nation's first research oriented science and engineering institution. The QS-The Times World University Rankings in the year of 2009 placed KAIST 69th overall and 21st in...
, focusing on the needs of freight transport, also came to the conclusion that separating off long-distance passenger traffic on a high speed passenger railway would be advisable, thus it was taken up in Korea's next Five Year Plan
Five-year plans of South Korea
-Background:Both North and South Korea had survived the Korean War . From the end of World War II, South Korea remained largely dependent on U.S. aid until an internal revolution occurred in 1961...
.
During the next years, several feasibility studies were prepared for a high-speed line with a Seoul-Busan travel time of 1 hour 30 minutes, which gave positive results. In 1989, following the go-ahead for the project, the institutions to manage its preparation were established: the Gyeongbu High Speed Electric Railway & New International Airport Committee, and the High Speed Electric Railway Planning Department (later renamed HSR Project Planning Board). In 1990, the foreseen Seoul-Busan travel time was 1 hour 51 minutes, the project was to be implemented by August 1998, and costs were estimated at 5,846.2 billion South Korean won
South Korean won
The won is the currency of South Korea. A single won is divided into 100 jeon, the monetary subunit. The jeon is no longer used for everyday transactions, and appears only in foreign exchange rates...
in 1988 prices, of which 4.8 trillion won was foreseen for the high-speed line itself, and the remainder for rolling stock.
In 1991, bids were called for the supply and technology transfer of the core system technology, which in addition to the rolling stock also included the catenary
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
and signalling of the line. On August 26, 1991, three competitors submitted bids: consortia led by GEC-Alsthom (today Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
, one of the builders of France's TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
trains; Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
, one of the builders of Germany's ICE trains; and Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
, one of the builders of Japan's Shinkansen
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
trains.
Once planning progressed, in March 1992, the Korea High Speed Rail Construction Authority (KHSRCA) was established as a separate body with own budget responsible for the project. In the 1993 reappraisal of the project, the finishing date was pushed out to May 2002, and estimated costs grew to 10.74 trillion won. 82% of the cost increase was due to a 90% increase of unit costs in the construction sector (mostly labour costs but also material costs), the remainder due to alignment changes (longer route, more stations), though some city tunnels were dropped. To finance the project, the option of a Build-Operate-Transfer
Build-Operate-Transfer
Build-own-operate-transfer or build-operate-transfer is a form of project financing, wherein a private entity receives a concession from the private or public sector to finance, design, construct, and operate a facility stated in the concession contract...
(BOT) franchise was rejected as too risky. Funding included direct government grants (35%), government (10%) and foreign (18%) loans, domestic bond sales (31%) and private capital (6%).
Start of construction
KHSRCA started construction of the Gyeongbu High Speed Railway (Gyeongbu HSR) on June 30, 1992 on the 57 km (35.4 mi) long section from CheonanCheonan
Cheonan is a city located in the northeast corner of South Chungcheong, a province of South Korea, and is 83.6 km south of the capital, Seoul...
to Daejeon
Daejeon
Daejeon is South Korea's fifth largest metropolis and the provincial capital of Chungnam. Located in the center of the country, Daejeon had a population of over 1.5 million in 2010. It is at the crossroads of Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu Expressway, and Honam Expressway. Within the...
, which was intended for use as test track.
Construction started before the choice of the main technology supplier, thus alignment design was set out to be compatible with all choices. Superstructure-related design specifications included a minimum curve radius of 7000 m (22,966 ft), a maximum gradient of 1.5%, which was later increased to 2.5%, an open line cross section including two tracks with centerlines 5 m (16.4 ft) apart, and a two-track tunnel cross sectional area of 107 m² (1,152 sq ft) 107 m². Of the planned 411 km (255.4 mi) line, 152.73 km (94.9 mi) would be laid on bridges, and another 138.68 km (86.2 mi) in tunnels. However, plans were changed repeatedly, in particular those for city sections, following disputes with local governments. Planned operating speed was also reduced from 350 km/h (217 mph) to the 300 km/h (186 mph) maximum of high-speed trains on the market, thus, with project variants of up to 430.7 km (267.6 mi) line length, Seoul–Busan travel times of up to 2 hours 4 minutes were projected.
Construction suffered from early quality problems. After an independent safety inspection in 1996, repairs were necessary on 190 locations, and even partial reconstruction was needed at another 39 locations.
Meanwhile, the bidding of the core system technology contract progressed through five rounds of evaluation, and the French and German consortia submitted final bids on June 15, 1993. KHSRCA announced that the GEC-Alsthom-led consortium is the preferred bidder on August 20, 1993, and the contract was signed on June 14, 1994. The consortium consisted of GEC-Alsthom and its its Korean subsidiary Eukorail.
The technology was almost identical to that found on the high-speed lines of France's TGV system. Track-related design specifications included a design speed of 350 km/h (217 mph), standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
, continuously welded rails with UIC
International Union of Railways
The UIC , or International Union of Railways, is an international rail transport industry body.- Brief history :The railways of Europe originated as separate concerns. There were many border changes after World War I and the Treaty of Versailles. Colonial railways were the responsibility of the...
60 profile (60 kg/m), 2.6 m (8.5 ft) wide concrete sleepers, 35 cm high ballast bed, swing-nose switches
Railroad switch
A railroad switch, turnout or [set of] points is a mechanical installation enabling railway trains to be guided from one track to another at a railway junction....
for high-speed passage, 25 kV/60 Hz electrification, standard French TVM 430 automatic cab signalling and centralised train control.
First phase: Seoul–Daegu and connected upgrades
Following the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, the government decided to realise the Gyeongbu HSR in two phases. In a first phase, 222.1 km (138 mi) of the high-speed line would be finished by 2004, with trains travelling along the upgraded conventional line along the rest of the planned 409.8 km (254.6 mi) route. With the rest of the now 412 km (256 mi) long Gyeongbu HSR (now including 112 km (69.6 mi) of viaducts and 189 km (117.4 mi) of tunnels) finished, travel time was foreseen to be 1 hour 56 minutes. The budget for the first phase was set at 12,737.7 billion won, that for the entire project at 18,435.8 billion won in 1998 prices. While the share of government contributions remained unchanged, the share of foreign loans, domestic bond sales and private capital changed to 24%, 29% and 2%.Well ahead of the opening of the Gyeongbu HSR for regular service, in December 1999, 34.4 km (21.4 mi) of the test section was finished to enable trials with trains. The test section extended to 57.2 km (35.5 mi) on June 26, 2000.
After further design changes, the high-speed tracks were finished over a length of 223.6 km (138.9 mi), with 15 km (9.3 mi) of interconnections to the conventional Gyeongbu Line, including at a short interruption at Daejeon. The high-speed section itself included 84 viaducts with a combined length of 83078 m (51.622 mi), among them the 6844 m (22,454.1 ft) Pungse Viaduct; and 46 tunnels with a combined length of 75621 m (46.989 mi), among them the 10290 m (33,759.8 ft) Iljik Tunnel and the 9970.5 m (32,711.6 ft) Hwanghak Tunnel. Hwanghak Tunnel became Korea's longest bored tunnel once the line opened.
The project budget also included the electrification of the short connecting section at Daejeon and the Daegu-Busan section of the existing Gyeongbu Line, as well as the entire Honam Line from Daejeon to Mokpo. The Seoul–Busan route length was reduced from 441.7 to 408.5 km (274.5 to 253.8 mi).
The infrastructure and rolling stock were built in the framework of a technology transfer agreement between core system supplier Alstom and local companies, with Alstom's part of the project amounting to US$2.1 billion resp. €1.5 billion. Other foreign contributors included SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
(training and supervision of infrastructure and operations), Pandrol
Pandrol
Pandrol is a British company, which manufactures clips used on rail tracks.- Overview :The was patented in 1957 by a Norwegian railways engineer, Per Pande Rolfsen. Nowadays it is common worldwide. Pandrol has manufacturing plants in 12 countries and 82 markets. Over 240 railway systems in 91...
and Vossloh
Vossloh
Vossloh AG is a German transport technology manufacturer based in the Westphalian town of Werdohl. The group has 4,700 employees , and generated sales of €1.2 billion, of which approximately 60% came from the rail infrastructure division, and the remainder from the motive power and components...
(rail fastenings), and Cegelec
Cegelec
Cegelec is a European company providing technological services to companies and public authorities. It has a workforce of 25,000 and has a presence in 30 countries. It has been a subsidiary of Vinci since 2010....
(catenary). Their domestic partners for the infrastructure parts were LG Industrial Ssystems
LS Group
LS Group is a Korean Jaebeol . It is composed of LS Corp. , Gaon Cable, E1 , YESCO and LS Asset Management . "LS Corp." is a holding company, which comprises LS Cable LS Group is a Korean Jaebeol (conglomerate). It is composed of LS Corp. (see below), Gaon Cable, E1 (LPG), YESCO (LNG) and LS...
and Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
(signalling and train control); ILJIN
ILJIN Group
-History:The ILJIN Group was established in 1967 to produce high-voltage electrical transmission equipment. Founder Huh Chin-kyu wanted to localise technology to foster South Korea's economic independence, and started the company after an earlier company he worked in as engineer went bust.In...
and LG Cable
LS Group
LS Group is a Korean Jaebeol . It is composed of LS Corp. , Gaon Cable, E1 , YESCO and LS Asset Management . "LS Corp." is a holding company, which comprises LS Cable LS Group is a Korean Jaebeol (conglomerate). It is composed of LS Corp. (see below), Gaon Cable, E1 (LPG), YESCO (LNG) and LS...
(catenary). SYSTRA
Systra
SYSTRA is an international engineering and consulting group specializing in rail and public transport. SYSTRA is known worldwide for its work in transport modes that offer a sustainable alternative to cars and trucks...
and Bechtel
Bechtel
Bechtel Corporation is the largest engineering company in the United States, ranking as the 5th-largest privately owned company in the U.S...
was also involved in project management.
After 12 years of construction, service using the first phase of the Gyeongbu HSR started on April 1, 2004.
Second phase: Daegu–Busan
The Daegu–Busan section of the Gyeongbu HSR became a separate project with the July 1998 project revision, with a budget of 5,698.1 billion won, to be funded from direct government and private sources at the same ratios as for phase 1. In August 2006, the project was modified to include the downtown passages of Daejeon and Daegu, as well as additional stations along the phase 1 section at Osong, between Cheonan and Daejeon; and GimcheonGimcheon
Gimcheon is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is situated on the major land transportation routes between Seoul and Busan, namely the Gyeongbu Expressway and Gyeongbu Line railway.-Administrative divisions:...
, (between Daejeon and Daegu. Consequently, the budget was increased to 7,190.0 billion won, and the government's share of the funding was increased by 5 percentage points to 50%.
Construction started in June 2002. The 128.1 km (79.6 mi) of new tracks, consisting of the 4 km (2.5 mi) South Daegu Interconnection, 122.8 km (76.3 mi) of high-speed tracks, and a 1.3 km (0.807784557644749 mi) low-speed section connecting into Busan Station, follow a long curve to the northeast of the existing Gyeongbu Line, with new stations for Gyeongju
Gyeongju
Gyeongju is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering with a population of 269,343 people according to the 2008 census. Gyeongju is southeast of Seoul, and east of the...
and Ulsan
Ulsan
Ulsan , officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring Busan to the south and facing Gyeongju to the north and the Sea of Japan to the east.Ulsan is the...
built well outside of the city centres.. The Seoul–Busan travel distance along the second phase route is 423.8 km (263.3 mi). The section includes 54 viaducts with a total length of 23.4 km (14.5 mi) and 38 tunnels with a total length of 74.2 km (46.1 mi). The two largest structures are the 20323 m (66,676.5 ft) long Geomjeung Tunnel, under Mount Geumjeong
Geumjeongsan
Geumjeongsan is a mountain in the city of Busan in South Korea. It covers a large surface that extends into Dongnae-gu in the south, Buk-gu in the west, Geumjeong-gu in the east, and the city of Yangsan in the north...
at the Busan end of the line; and the 13,270 m long Wonhyo Tunnel, under Mount Cheonseong south-west of Ulsan, which will be the longest and second longest tunnels in Korea once the line is opened.
The original plans foresaw a second-phase opening in 2008, with new trains cruising at a top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph) cutting Seoul-Busan travel times to just 1 hours 56 minutes. However, construction was delayed, and trains with higher top speeds weren't yet available. The main cause of delay was a long dispute over the environmental impact assessment of the Wonhyo Tunnel, which passes under a wetland area. The dispute gained nationwide and international attention due to the repeated hunger strikes of a Buddhist nun, led to a suspension of works in 2005, and only ended with a supreme court ruling in June 2006.
For the second phase of the Gyeongbu HSR, the RHEDA 2000 ballastless track system of German manufacturer RAIL.ONE was chosen. However, construction faced quality problems concerning sleepers
Railroad tie
A railroad tie/railway tie , or railway sleeper is a rectangular item used to support the rails in railroad tracks...
and fastenings. In February 2009, cracks were found on 332 newly laid concrete sleepers on the 96.9 km (60.2 mi) long section between Daegu
Daegu
Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the...
and Ulsan
Ulsan
Ulsan , officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring Busan to the south and facing Gyeongju to the north and the Sea of Japan to the east.Ulsan is the...
, the cause of which was improper water insulation. Meanwhile, it was revealed that the Pandrol and Vossloh clips chosen for the rail fastenings were submitted to indoor tests only, omitting field tests, and the Pandrol clips saw no prior use on another high-speed line.
With the exception of the sections across Daejeon and Daegu, the second phase went into service on November 1, 2010. By that time, 4,905.7 billion won was spent out of a second phase budget, or 17,643.4 billion won out of the total.
The two sections across the urban areas of Daejeon and Daegu, altogether 40.9 km (25.4 mi), will be finished by 2014, and will reduce the Seoul–Busan travel distance to 417.5 km (259.4 mi). As of October 2010, the total cost of the second phase was estimated at 7,945.4 billion won, that for the entire project at 20,728.2 billion won.
Other connected high-speed lines
The Honam High Speed Railway (Honam HSR) branches from the Gyeongbu HSR at its newly built Osong StationOsong Station
Osong Station is a station on the Gyeongbu KTX Line in Cheongwon County, North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It is located at the intersection of the Gyeongbu KTX high speed rail line and the conventional Chungbuk Line...
, and is meant to accelerate Honam KTX services to Mokpo
Mokpo
Mokpo is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula. Mokpo has frequent train service to Seoul and is the terminus for a number of ferry routes serving islands in the adjacent Yellow Sea...
. The first stage from Osong to Gwangju is in construction since December 2009, and is to be opened in 2014.
A branch from the existing Gyeongbu HSR near its northern end to Suseo-dong
Suseo-dong
Suseo-dong is a ward of Gangnam-gu in Seoul, South Korea. The name, Suseo originated from the feature of Han River running through the western part of the region. Suseo-dong is also home to the Tancheon park.-External links:...
, a southeastern ward of Seoul, was in the original plans of the Honam HSR. The Suseo High-Speed Railway was announced as a separate project, on a route from a junction with the Gyeongbu HSR at Pyeongtaek
Pyeongtaek
Pyeongtaek is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Located in the southwestern part of the province, Pyeongtaek was founded as a union of two districts in 940 AD, during the Goryeo dynasty. It was elevated to city status in 1986, and is home to a South Korean naval base and a large...
to Suseo, on December 30, 2009. The goal was to complete the project by 2014.
Singyeongju Station
Singyeongju Station
Singyeongju Station is a new station near the city of Gyeongju. It is on the Gyeongbu KTX Line. Singyeongju Station means "new Gyeongju Station." It should not be confused with Gyeongju Station, which does not serve high speed trains....
on the second phase section of the Gyeongbu HSR is to become a junction with the re-aligned Ulsan-Gyeongju-Pohang section of the Donghae Nambu Line
Donghae Nambu Line
The Donghae Nambu Line is a railway line connecting Busan to Pohang in South Korea.The line runs along South Korea's east coast.-History:...
, which is to open in 2014. On April 23, 2009, the project was approved by the government and a ground-breaking ceremony was held. In January 2010, the early completion of the Pohang branch was confirmed by the government.
On September 1, 2010, the government released a new strategic plan, with the aim to reduce travel times for 95% of Korea to under 2 hours by 2020. Longer-term plans under consideration included a branch from the Gyeongbu HSR to Jinju and further to the southern coast.
Stations
Six new stations were built along the Gyeongbu High Speed Railway. From Seoul to Busan:- Gwangmyeong StationGwangmyeong StationGwangmyeong Station is a train station in Gwangmyeong, South Korea. The station was newly built as a stop of national railway operator Korail's KTX high-speed service, south of Seoul Station.-Disambiguation:...
, in the southwestern suburbs of Seoul - Cheonan Asan Station, west of Cheonan and east of Asan
- Osong StationOsong StationOsong Station is a station on the Gyeongbu KTX Line in Cheongwon County, North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It is located at the intersection of the Gyeongbu KTX high speed rail line and the conventional Chungbuk Line...
, near Osong (opened on November 1, 2010) - Gimcheon-Gumi StationGimcheon-Gumi StationGimcheon-Gumi Station, officially Gimcheon , is a Korea Train Express station on the Gyeongbu KTX Line located in Gimcheon City, North Gyeongsang Province, servicing Gimcheon]] and the nearby industrial center of Gumi. Services began on November 1, 2010...
, east of Gimcheon (opened on November 1, 2010) - Singyeongju StationSingyeongju StationSingyeongju Station is a new station near the city of Gyeongju. It is on the Gyeongbu KTX Line. Singyeongju Station means "new Gyeongju Station." It should not be confused with Gyeongju Station, which does not serve high speed trains....
, south of GyeongjuGyeongjuGyeongju is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering with a population of 269,343 people according to the 2008 census. Gyeongju is southeast of Seoul, and east of the...
(opened with the Daegu-Busan section on November 1, 2010) - Ulsan StationUlsan stationTaehwagang Station is a train station in Ulsan, southeast South Korea, and it is the terminus of the Donghae Nambu Line. The station is located in samsan-dong of Nam-gu.- History :*October 25, 1921 : Sales ulsanyeok start...
, west of UlsanUlsanUlsan , officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring Busan to the south and facing Gyeongju to the north and the Sea of Japan to the east.Ulsan is the...
(opened with the Daegu-Busan section on November 1, 2010)
Once complete, the Gyeongbu HSR will directly connect to four existing main stations in major cities, which KTX trains currently reach on tracks of the conventional Gyeongbu Line:
- Seoul StationSeoul StationSeoul Station is a major railway station in Seoul, South Korea. The station is served by the Gyeongbu Line, its high-speed counterpart and the Gyeongui Line, with frequent high-speed, express, and local services to various points in South Korea.-Services:...
: plans for separate tracks until Gwangmyeong were abandoned when the project was phased in 1998 - Daejeon StationDaejeon StationDaejeon Station is on South Korea's high-speed KTX railway network, 166.6 km south of Seoul Station.-History:The station opened on January 1, 1905 and KTX trains on the Gyeongbu Line began services on April 1, 2004. The station inspired a romanic blues ballad entitled "Daejeon Blues" that has...
: separate tracks across downtown Daejeon in construction for 2014 - Dongdaegu StationDongdaegu StationDongdaegu Station, meaning "East Daegu Station", is a railway station in Daegu, South Korea. It is on the national high-speed KTX railway network, 282 km south of Seoul Station.-History:...
: separate tracks across downtown Daegu in construction for 2014 - BusanBusan Station- External links :* * *...
: the end of the line since November 1, 2010
General
Regular service started on the first phase of the Gyeongbu HSR on April 1, 2004, with KTX-IKTX-I
The KTX-I or simply KTX, also known as TGV-K, is a South Korean high speed train class based on the French TGV Réseau. The 20-car formation of the trainsets without restaurant car is optimized for high capacity...
trains reaching a maximum speed of 300 km/h (186 mph). In response to frequent passenger complaints regarding speeds on the video display staying just below the advertised 300 mark, operating top speed was raised to 305 km/h (190 mph) on November 26, 2007. From March 2, 2010, KTX-II
KTX-II
KTX-II, or KTX-Sancheon, is a South Korean high-speed train built by Hyundai Rotem in the second half of the 2000s and operated by Korail since March 2009...
(KTX-Sancheon) trains began to use the line in commercial service with the same top speed.
As of 2011, all KTX services routed along the line also use sections of connected conventional mainlines.
The first incident on the high-speed line happened on February 11, 2011, when a KTX-Sancheon train bound for Seoul from Busan derailed on a switch in the Iljik Tunnel, 500 m (1,640.4 ft) before Gwangmyeong Station, when travelling at around 90 km/h (55.9 mph). No casualties were reported, only one passenger suffered slight injury, but KTX traffic was blocked until repairs for 29 hours. Preliminary investigation indicated that the accident resulted from a series of human errors. Because workers improperly repaired a point along the tracks. Investigators found that the derailment was caused by a switch malfunction triggered by a loose nut from track, and suspected that a repairman failed to tighten it during maintenance the previous night. The switch's detectors signalled a problem earlier, however, a second maintenance crew failed to find the loose nut and didn't properly communicate the fact to the control center, which then allowed the train on the track. The rail union criticised Korail's use of hired repairmen. there were no problems with the train according to investigation.
Gyeongbu KTX
KTX trains not deviating from the Seoul–Busan corridor are operated as the Gyeongbu KTX service. When introduced in 2004, the new service cut travel time between Seoul and Busan from 4 hours 10 minutes to 2 hours 40 minutes. The Seoul–Busan travel distance was shortened from 441.7 to 408.5 km (274.5 to 253.8 mi) The fastest services made intermediate stops only in Daejeon and Daegu, other stations were served by trains with different stopping patterns. Some Gyeongbu KTX services will continue to serve the original relation after the November 1, 2010, opening of the second phase of the Gyeongbu HSR, with travel times between 2 hours 55 minutes and 3 hours.Korail met local demands by introducing additional KTX services between Seoul and Dongdaegu in June 2007, which left the Gyeongbu HSR between Daejeon and Dongdaegu to serve Gimcheon
Gimcheon
Gimcheon is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is situated on the major land transportation routes between Seoul and Busan, namely the Gyeongbu Expressway and Gyeongbu Line railway.-Administrative divisions:...
and Gumi on the conventional line. These services were discontinued with the opening of the Gimcheon-Gumi Station
Gimcheon-Gumi Station
Gimcheon-Gumi Station, officially Gimcheon , is a Korea Train Express station on the Gyeongbu KTX Line located in Gimcheon City, North Gyeongsang Province, servicing Gimcheon]] and the nearby industrial center of Gumi. Services began on November 1, 2010...
on the high-speed line. New services introduced with the same timetable change leave the Gyeongbu HSR on the Seoul–Daejeon section to serve Suwon
Suwon Station
Suwon Station is a railway station in the city of Suwon, South Korea. The station was completely redeveloped in 2002 and 2003, and is now integrated with the Aekyung Shopping Mall. This station serves the national Gyeongbu Line and Line 1 of the Seoul subway, which runs services from Soyosan...
.
With the opening of the Daegu-Busan section on November 1, 2010, the fastest Seoul–Busan services, using all of the Gyeongbu HSR with intermediate stops in Daejeon and Dongdaegu only, reduced the shortest travel times by 22 minutes to 2 hours 18 minutes. From December 1, 2010, Korail added a pair of non-stop trains with a travel time of 2 hours 8 minutes. With the completion of the sections across urban Daejeon and Daegu, a further improvement of the four-stop travel time to 2 hour and 10 minutes between Seoul and Busan is expected.
The frequency of Gyeongbu HSR services was 94 daily runs when the service started in April 2004. Three and a half months later, trains running on some days of the week only were introduced, while overall frequency was reduced. Since then, total weekly train frequency was increased with every timetable change, and fluctuates between a minimum of 120 services from Tuesdays to Thursdays to a maximum of 154 services on Saturdays in the January 17, 2011 timetable.
Evolution of long-distance passenger traffic
When the project was started, initial ridership on the Gyeongbu HSR was expected to be 200,000 passengers a day. In the first estimate after the separation of the project into phases, the prediction for the first-year average daily ridership of the Gyeongbu KTX Line was 141,497, which reduced to 115,828 in the final August 2003 forecast. Actual first-year numbers were about a half of the last estimate, but rose significantly in the second and third year. In October 2010, before the opening of the Daegu–Busan section, Korail expected total KTX ridership (including Honam KTX) to rise from the then current 106,000 to 135,000 passengers a day.| 2004 | 60,717 |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 73,567 |
| 2006 | 82,716 |
| 2007 | 84,851 |
| 2008 | 85,685 |
On the short distance relation between Seoul and Cheonan, due to the short distance and the location of the KTX station outside the city, KTX gained only a very modest market share, with little effect on the overall modal share of intercity rail. On the medium-distance relation from Seoul to Daejeon, KTX gained market share mostly at the expense of normal express services on the Gyeongbu Line, and helped to increase the total share of rail to a third. On the long-distance relations from Seoul to Daegu and Busan, KTX took both the majority of the market and the bulk of rail passengers, increasing the total share of rail from around two-fifths to a market dominating two-thirds by 2008.
Gyeongbu KTX stops
The terminal for most Gyeongbu KTX services is Seoul Station, but some trains continue beyond Seoul station for 14.9 km (9.3 mi) along the Gyeongui LineGyeongui Line
The Gyeongui Line is one of the oldest railway lines in Korea. When opened in 1906 it linked Seoul in what is now South Korea to P'yŏngyang and Sinŭiju in what is now North Korea...
to terminate at Haengsin Station
Haengsin Station
Haengsin Station is a station on the Gyeongui Line. The KTX Goyang Train Depot is located behind this station, and some KTX trains serve passengers at this station....
, a stop added due to the station's vicinity to the main KTX maintenance facility, Goyang depot.
| Station (Hangul Hangul Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean... , Hanja Hanja Hanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation... ) |
Connecting lines and services |
Station distance |
Travel distance |
Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haengsin Station Haengsin Station Haengsin Station is a station on the Gyeongui Line. The KTX Goyang Train Depot is located behind this station, and some KTX trains serve passengers at this station.... (행신, 幸信) (some trains) |
Honam KTX Gyeongui Line Gyeongui Line The Gyeongui Line is one of the oldest railway lines in Korea. When opened in 1906 it linked Seoul in what is now South Korea to P'yŏngyang and Sinŭiju in what is now North Korea... |
- | -14.9 km |
Goyang-si Goyang Goyang is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Goyang includes the new city of Ilsan, which is connected to Seoul via Seoul Subway Line 3. Goyang is bordered by Seoul to the south; walls of the Bukhan Mountain Fortress lie along a small portion of this border.Several institutions of higher... , Gyeonggi-do Gyeonggi-do Gyeonggi-do is the most populous province in South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Suwon. Seoul—South Korea's largest city and national capital—is located in the heart of the province, but has been separately administered as a provincial-level special city since 1946... |
| Seoul Seoul Station Seoul Station is a major railway station in Seoul, South Korea. The station is served by the Gyeongbu Line, its high-speed counterpart and the Gyeongui Line, with frequent high-speed, express, and local services to various points in South Korea.-Services:... (서울, 서울) |
Gyeongbu Line Gyeongbu Line The Gyeongbu Line is the most important railway line in South Korea and one of the oldest. It was constructed by Japan in 1905, connecting Seoul to Suwon, Daejeon, Daegu, and Busan. The Gyeongbu Line is by far the most heavily travelled rail line in South Korea... Gyeongui Line Gyeongui Line The Gyeongui Line is one of the oldest railway lines in Korea. When opened in 1906 it linked Seoul in what is now South Korea to P'yŏngyang and Sinŭiju in what is now North Korea... Gyeongin Line Gyeongin Line The Gyeongin Line is a railway mainline in South Korea, currently connecting Guro Station in Seoul and Incheon. Passenger transport along the line is integrated into Seoul Subway Line 1.-History:... Seoul Subway Line 1 Seoul Subway Line 1 Seoul Subway Line 1 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway, formerly known as the Korea National Railroad of Seoul, is an operation channel which links central Seoul, South Korea to Soyosan Station in the northeast, Incheon in the southwest, and Asan via Suwon in the south. This line covers a large part... Seoul Subway Line 4 Seoul Subway Line 4 Seoul Subway Line 4 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway is a long line crossing from the southwest to the northeast across the Seoul National Capital Area. The southern portion of the line is divided into the Gwacheon and Ansan Lines, but this does not affect the trains which run on it, most of... AREX AREX AREX, spelled A'REX as a brand name, is a South Korean railway line that links Seoul with Gimpo Airport and Incheon International Airport. The section between the two airports opened on March 23, 2007, the extension to Seoul Station opened December 29, 2010... |
14.9 km | 0.0 km | Jung-gu Jung-gu, Seoul Jung-gu is one of the 25 gu which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. It is located on the north side of the Han River, and is the historical center of the city .-Overview:... , Seoul-teukbyeolsi Seoul Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world... |
| Gwangmyeong Gwangmyeong Station Gwangmyeong Station is a train station in Gwangmyeong, South Korea. The station was newly built as a stop of national railway operator Korail's KTX high-speed service, south of Seoul Station.-Disambiguation:... (광명, 光明) |
Honam KTX Gwangmyeong Line (Seoul Subway Line 1 Seoul Subway Line 1 Seoul Subway Line 1 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway, formerly known as the Korea National Railroad of Seoul, is an operation channel which links central Seoul, South Korea to Soyosan Station in the northeast, Incheon in the southwest, and Asan via Suwon in the south. This line covers a large part... ) |
22.0 km | 22.0 km | Gwangmyeong-si Gwangmyeong Gwangmyeong is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It borders Seoul to the north and northeast, Anyang to the east and south, and Siheung to the southwest.-Districts:There are 18 administrative districts in Gwangmyeong... , Gyeonggi-do Gyeonggi-do Gyeonggi-do is the most populous province in South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Suwon. Seoul—South Korea's largest city and national capital—is located in the heart of the province, but has been separately administered as a provincial-level special city since 1946... |
| Cheonan-Asan Cheonan-Asan Station Cheonan-Asan Station is a ground-level train station located mostly in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do, although part of it lies in the neighboring city of Cheonan. This station serves high-speed KTX trains that run from Seoul to either Busan or Mokpo... (천안아산, 天安牙山) |
Honam KTX Janghang Line Janghang Line The Janghang Line is a railway line serving South Chungcheong Province in South Korea. The line connects Cheonan to the railway junction city of Iksan. The Janghang Line is served by frequent Saemaul-ho and Mugunghwa passenger train services between Seoul and Iksan... |
74.0 km | 96.0 km | Asan-si Asan Asan is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It is located at , bordering the Seoul Metropolitan Area to the north. Asan has a population of approximately 250,000.Asan is known for its hot springs and is a city of spas.... , Chungcheongnam-do Chungcheongnam-do Chungcheongnam-do or Chungnam is a province in the west of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the south-western half of the former Chungcheong Province and remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, thereafter becoming part of South Korea... |
| Osong Osong Station Osong Station is a station on the Gyeongbu KTX Line in Cheongwon County, North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It is located at the intersection of the Gyeongbu KTX high speed rail line and the conventional Chungbuk Line... (오송, 五松) |
Honam KTX Chungbuk Line Chungbuk Line The Chungbuk Line is a railway line serving North Chungcheong Province in South Korea. The line connects Jochiwon on the Gyeongbu Line to Bongyang on the Jungang Line, serving the major cities of Cheongju and Chungju en route. Cheongju International Airport is located near the rail... |
28.6 km | 124.6 km | Cheongwon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do Chungcheongbuk-do Chungcheongbuk-do is a province in the centre of South Korea. It was formed in 1896 from the northeastern half of the former Chungcheong province... |
| Daejeon Daejeon Station Daejeon Station is on South Korea's high-speed KTX railway network, 166.6 km south of Seoul Station.-History:The station opened on January 1, 1905 and KTX trains on the Gyeongbu Line began services on April 1, 2004. The station inspired a romanic blues ballad entitled "Daejeon Blues" that has... (대전, 大田) |
Gyeongbu Line Gyeongbu Line The Gyeongbu Line is the most important railway line in South Korea and one of the oldest. It was constructed by Japan in 1905, connecting Seoul to Suwon, Daejeon, Daegu, and Busan. The Gyeongbu Line is by far the most heavily travelled rail line in South Korea... Daejeon Line Daejeon Subway Line 1 Daejeon Subway Line 1 Daejeon Subway Line 1 is a subway line in Daejeon, South Korea.Line color is ●green. It is long with 22 stations. It is the first of five planned lines for the Daejeon Metropolitan Subway.First section was opened on March 16, 2006, second on April 17, 2007... |
35.2 km | 159.8 km | Dong-gu Dong-gu, Daejeon -External links:*... , Daejeon-gwangyeoksi Daejeon Daejeon is South Korea's fifth largest metropolis and the provincial capital of Chungnam. Located in the center of the country, Daejeon had a population of over 1.5 million in 2010. It is at the crossroads of Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu Expressway, and Honam Expressway. Within the... |
| Gimcheon-Gumi Gimcheon-Gumi Station Gimcheon-Gumi Station, officially Gimcheon , is a Korea Train Express station on the Gyeongbu KTX Line located in Gimcheon City, North Gyeongsang Province, servicing Gimcheon]] and the nearby industrial center of Gumi. Services began on November 1, 2010... (김천(구미), 金泉龜尾) |
- | 69.1 km |
238.9 km |
Gimcheon-si Gimcheon Gimcheon is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is situated on the major land transportation routes between Seoul and Busan, namely the Gyeongbu Expressway and Gyeongbu Line railway.-Administrative divisions:... , Gyeongsangbuk-do Gyeongsangbuk-do Gyeongsangbuk-do or shortly Gyeongbuk is a province in eastern South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea.The Gyeongsangbuk-do Office is... |
| Dongdaegu Dongdaegu Station Dongdaegu Station, meaning "East Daegu Station", is a railway station in Daegu, South Korea. It is on the national high-speed KTX railway network, 282 km south of Seoul Station.-History:... (동대구, 東大邱) |
Gyeongbu Line Gyeongbu Line The Gyeongbu Line is the most important railway line in South Korea and one of the oldest. It was constructed by Japan in 1905, connecting Seoul to Suwon, Daejeon, Daegu, and Busan. The Gyeongbu Line is by far the most heavily travelled rail line in South Korea... Daegu Line Daegu Line The Daegu Line is a railway line in South Korea. The line connects Dongdaegu Station on the Gyeongbu Line in Daegu to Yeongcheon on the Jungang Line... Daegu Subway Line 1 Daegu Subway Line 1 Daegu Subway Line 1 was, until mid-2005, the only subway line in the South Korean city of Daegu. It is operated by the Daegu Metropolitan Transit Corporation. Line color is ●maroon.... |
54.2 km | 293.1 km | Dong-gu, Daegu-gwangyeoksi Daegu Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the... |
| Singyeongju Singyeongju Station Singyeongju Station is a new station near the city of Gyeongju. It is on the Gyeongbu KTX Line. Singyeongju Station means "new Gyeongju Station." It should not be confused with Gyeongju Station, which does not serve high speed trains.... (신경주, 新慶州) |
- | 49.0 km |
342.1 km |
Gyeongju-si Gyeongju Gyeongju is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering with a population of 269,343 people according to the 2008 census. Gyeongju is southeast of Seoul, and east of the... , Gyeongsangbuk-do Gyeongsangbuk-do Gyeongsangbuk-do or shortly Gyeongbuk is a province in eastern South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea.The Gyeongsangbuk-do Office is... |
| Ulsan Ulsan station Taehwagang Station is a train station in Ulsan, southeast South Korea, and it is the terminus of the Donghae Nambu Line. The station is located in samsan-dong of Nam-gu.- History :*October 25, 1921 : Sales ulsanyeok start... (울산, 蔚山) |
- | 30.0 km |
372.1 km |
Ulju-gun, Ulsan-gwangyeoksi Ulsan Ulsan , officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring Busan to the south and facing Gyeongju to the north and the Sea of Japan to the east.Ulsan is the... |
| Busan Busan Station - External links :* * *... (부산, 釜山) |
Gyeongbu Line Gyeongbu Line The Gyeongbu Line is the most important railway line in South Korea and one of the oldest. It was constructed by Japan in 1905, connecting Seoul to Suwon, Daejeon, Daegu, and Busan. The Gyeongbu Line is by far the most heavily travelled rail line in South Korea... Busan Subway Line 1 Busan Subway Line 1 Busan Subway Line 1 is the north-south route of the Busan Subway. It is long with 34 stations. Line 1 uses 8-car trains. The line color is orange.... |
51.7 km |
423.8 km |
Dong-gu, Busan-gwangyeoksi Busan Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world... |
| Services using the regular Gyeongbu Line beyond Dongdaegu | ||||
| Miryang Miryang Station Miryang Station is on South Korea's high-speed KTX railway network, 55 km south of Dongdaegu Station.-History:The station opened on January 1, 1905 to trains on the Gyeongbu Line. The building was destroyed by fire on February 12, 1962. The station was elevated in its determined importance... (밀양, 密陽) |
Gyeongbu Line Gyeongbu Line The Gyeongbu Line is the most important railway line in South Korea and one of the oldest. It was constructed by Japan in 1905, connecting Seoul to Suwon, Daejeon, Daegu, and Busan. The Gyeongbu Line is by far the most heavily travelled rail line in South Korea... |
55.3 km | 348.4 km | Miryang-si Miryang Miryang, often spelled Milyang, is a city in Gyeongsangnam-do Province, South Korea. Neighboring cities include Changnyeong to the west, Cheongdo to the north, Ulsan to the east, and Yangsan, Gimhae, and Changwon to the south. The city bird is the Korean magpie, the city tree is the pine, and the... , Gyeongsangnam-do Gyeongsangnam-do Gyeongsangnam-do is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Changwon. It contains the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. Located there is UNESCO World Heritage Site Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple that houses the Tripitaka Koreana and attracts many... |
| Gupo Gupo Station Gupo Station is the name of a Line 3 station of the Busan Subway network.... (구포, 龜浦) |
Gyeongbu Line Gyeongbu Line The Gyeongbu Line is the most important railway line in South Korea and one of the oldest. It was constructed by Japan in 1905, connecting Seoul to Suwon, Daejeon, Daegu, and Busan. The Gyeongbu Line is by far the most heavily travelled rail line in South Korea... Busan Subway Line 3 Busan Subway Line 3 Busan Subway Line 3 is a line of the Busan Subway system. The line was built from 1997 to 2005 and opened on November 28, 2005. The line is 18.3 kilometers long, and has 17 stations. Each train of the line has 4 cars. Line 3's cars do not have doors between one another , giving a unblocked view of... |
43.6 km | 392.0 km | Buk-gu, Busan-gwangyeoksi Busan Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world... |
| Busan Busan Station - External links :* * *... (부산, 釜山) |
Gyeongbu Line Gyeongbu Line The Gyeongbu Line is the most important railway line in South Korea and one of the oldest. It was constructed by Japan in 1905, connecting Seoul to Suwon, Daejeon, Daegu, and Busan. The Gyeongbu Line is by far the most heavily travelled rail line in South Korea... Busan Subway Line 1 Busan Subway Line 1 Busan Subway Line 1 is the north-south route of the Busan Subway. It is long with 34 stations. Line 1 uses 8-car trains. The line color is orange.... |
16.5 km | 408.5 km | Dong-gu, Busan-gwangyeoksi Busan Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world... |
Passenger surveys in the first months found that the limited capacity of bus connections and the lack of subway connections for intermediate stations, especially the newly built stations Gwangmyeong and Cheonan-Asan, was the problem mentioned most often. A better connection to Cheonan-Asan Station was provided by an extension of Seoul Subway Line 1
Seoul Subway Line 1
Seoul Subway Line 1 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway, formerly known as the Korea National Railroad of Seoul, is an operation channel which links central Seoul, South Korea to Soyosan Station in the northeast, Incheon in the southwest, and Asan via Suwon in the south. This line covers a large part...
along the Janghang Line
Janghang Line
The Janghang Line is a railway line serving South Chungcheong Province in South Korea. The line connects Cheonan to the railway junction city of Iksan. The Janghang Line is served by frequent Saemaul-ho and Mugunghwa passenger train services between Seoul and Iksan...
, opened on December 14, 2008. Gwangmyeong Station was linked to the same subway line by a shuttle service on December 15, 2006, but it made little impact due to the long time differences between KTX and subway train schedules.
Other services
Services using the Gyeongbu HSR only from Seoul to Daejeon and continuing all along the Honam Line are operated as the Honam KTX service. When introduced in 2004, the new service cut travel time between Yongsan in Seoul and Mokpo from 4 hours 42 minutes to 2 hours 58 minutes. From April 2011, the new Jeolla KTX service will use the same section of the Gyeongbu HSR to reach Yeosu along the Honam and Jeolla Lines, reducing the Seoul–Yeosu travel time from the current 5 hours 13 minutes to 2 hours 55 minutes. The new service will After the completion of the first stage of the Honam HSR and then the Suseo HSR, most Honam and Jeolla KTX services will use the Gyeongbu HSR only between the junction near Pyeongtaek and Osong.Services using the Gyeongbu HSR between Seoul and Dongdaegu, and diverging to the Gyeongbu Line to reach the Gyeongjeon Line, are operated as the Gyeongjeon KTX service, which started on December 15, 2010, initially reaching Masan with a minimum travel time of 2 hours 54 minutes. This service is to be extended to Jinju by 2012.
From 2012, Korail plans to extend some KTX services to Incheon International Airport
Incheon International Airport
Incheon International Airport is the largest airport in South Korea, the primary airport serving the Seoul national capital area, and one of the largest and busiest airports in the world...
on the AREX
AREX
AREX, spelled A'REX as a brand name, is a South Korean railway line that links Seoul with Gimpo Airport and Incheon International Airport. The section between the two airports opened on March 23, 2007, the extension to Seoul Station opened December 29, 2010...
line. The planned travel time between Incheon International Airport and Busan is 2 hours 41 minutes.
From 2015, a KTX service between Seoul and Pohang, diverging from the Gyeongbu HSR to the Donghae Nambu Line at Singyeongju Station, is planned to cut travel time by 33 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes.
Test runs
The section from Cheonan to Daejeon, with Osong depot as operations base, was used for the commissioning of the KTX-I trains before the start of regular service. Following the start of regular service, test runs were concentrated into the night hours when no regular trains ran. At 1:24 am on December 16, 2004, the experimental train HSR-350xHSR-350x
HSR-350x, alternatively called G7, KHST or NG-KTX, and later officially re-named Hanvit 350, is a South Korean experimental high-speed train. It was developed and built in a joint project of government research institutes, universities and private companies that started in 1996, which aimed to...
achieved the South Korean rail speed record of 352.4 km/h (219 mph) on the line.
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- KTXKorea Train ExpressKorea Train eXpress is South Korea's high-speed rail system, operated by Korail. Construction began on the first section of the high-speed line from Seoul to Busan in 1992. The project was later split into two phases and combined with conventional line upgrades, adding a second route from Seoul to...