05.12.2008 The first Korean KTX-II train

Celebration has been held at the Hyundai Rotem plant in Changwon to launch the country’s first locally-developed 300 km/h trainset. KTX-II is the commercial evolution of the HSR-350 prototype, which was developed under a project led by the Ministry of Knowledge & Economy, and the Ministry of Education, Science & Technology. The first trainset is expected to undergo six months of test running before entering revenue service. KTX-II six sets are to be delivered by June 2009, four in June 2010 and the extra nine by the end of that year.

Designed for a maximum speed of 330 km/h, KTX-II has aluminium bodyshells and a streamlined profile to minimize air resistance and improve energy efficiency. High-power traction motors, inverters and the traction control package were developed locally by Korean companies, as was the train’s new braking. The high speed train development programme is expected to generate benefits worth 7 500bn won. The 10-car KTX-II trains can be used singly or in pairs. The new trains also have rotatable rather than fixed seating throughout, together with family compartments, accessible toilets and on-board wi-fi access.

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