The KTX Seoul-Gangeung High-speed Rail will shorten the travel time by 1 hour 26 minutes by the time the new high-speed rail is launched next month, bringing the PeongChang Winter Olympics ever closer to the people. The new time will be to 2 hours and 12 minutes. The new high-speed rail is more than 4 hours faster than the travel time on a regular rail line and more than 1 hour and 15 minutes faster than a high-speed bus.
Kim Tae-hee, chief of the KTX Gangwon Construction Headquarters Construction Project Team, said his team concluded tests on the entire high-speed rail line, including the rail, rail embankment, signals and other totaling 12 key areas, and 277 rail beds from June 1 by running the rail cars on the new rail tracks to make sure they are safe.
The plan called for the KTX to make 51 single trips from Feb. 1 to Feb. 28, 2018 during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. When the new railroad is opened in December, it will run from Incheon to Gangeung without stopping so that passengers won’t have to change trains. Special care will be provided for the transportation of athletes and foreign tourists so the global events run on scheduled.
The rail authorities will do their best to make the new railroad play a key role in balanced national development by cutting the logistics time between the sections of the new rail line.
The Wonju to Gangneung line, which began testing from Oct. 31 has been connected with KTX Incheon Airport and Gangneung, which includes stops in Susaek, Seoul, Cheongrnangni, West Wonju and Gangneung. The rail line linking Inchoen Airport and the 2nd Passenger Terminal (T2) has also been newly built. The Incheon Airport-West Wonju line was converted to a high-speed rail line.
A new high-speed rail line was built from West Wonju to Gangneung ― a total distance of 250 km. Because of its many curves, the trains cannot run fast until it reaches West Wonju, but from Manjong, it can speed up to 250 km per hour, the maximum speed on the line, which is the 8th fastest in the world. In order to make the high-speed run possible, the longest tunnel in Korea’s mountainous areas had to be built.
Passengers on the KTX Seoul-Gangneung line will pass through many tunnels ― more than 60 percent of the line is made up of tunnels. The Daegwalyong Tunnel located between Jinbu and Gangneung is the longest at 21.7 km and trains will go through the tunnel in 5 minutes and 30 seconds.
Technologies developed domestically were used in building the new line and tunnels. Technology to connect rail sections, which was developed domestically, saved some 15 billion won, which otherwise would have been spent to import technology and equipment.
The high-tech line’s control system was also made in Korea. The equipment is put into use when the train runs more than 180 km/h and the drivers use what is essentially an autopilot.
The new KTX Seoul-Gangneung Line may be extended to Pohang to form the East Coast (Donghae) Line, which is expected to help economic activity in the East Coast areas. Officials, however, are still arguing over which would be the starting station for the line ―Seoul or Cheongryangri. Ticket prices is likely be around 25,000 to 30,000 won each way.
A view of the Jinbu Station of the KTX Seoul-Gangneung High-Speed Rail.(Photos:KTX)
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