South Korea Launches New Generation High-Speed Train, the Second Fastest in the World

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transportation in December said that the South Korean government has completed the development of core technology for a new generation of high-speed trains capable of operating at 370 kilometers per hour, making it the second fastest train in the world in terms of commercial operational speed.

The train, which is named EMU-370, has a technically designed maximum speed of 407 km/h.

Developed under a national research and development program led by the Korea Railway Research Institute (KRRI) with the participation of seven public and private companies, the project runs from April 2022 to December 2025.

A total of 22.5 billion won (15.23 million US dollars) was invested in the project, including 18 billion won from the government and 4.5 billion won from private companies, reported The Korea Times (15/1).

The government plans to start production of the first EMU-370 vehicles next year and conduct operational tests in 2030, with commercialization expected after 2031.

Once operational, EMU-370 will rank second globally in commercial operational speed, after China's CR450, which is undergoing trials at 400 km/h ahead of a planned commercial launch in 2027.

Meanwhile, the speed of the main high-speed trains operating in France, Germany and Japan currently operates at around 320 km/h.

Compared to Korea's current fastest train, the EMU-320, known as KTX-Cheongyong, the EMU-370 has 47.4 percent higher motor power, 12.3 percent lower air resistance, 33 percent lower horizontal vibration acceleration, and a 2 decibel reduction in indoor noise.

The train will have a capacity of 479 passengers and a motor capacity of 560 kilowatts, equivalent to the combined power of 75 mid-size sedans.

The government said EMU-370 will allow all domestic regions to be reached within two hours, thus improving regional economic balance.

Officials also hope Korea will strengthen its position in the global high-speed train market, which is increasingly moving towards trains capable of reaching speeds of 350 km/h or faster.

"We will start developing the main technology for the country's third-generation high-speed train, which can reach 400 km/h next year," said Yoon Jin-hwan, head of the Ministry's Railway Bureau.