The KTX-Cheongryong (), also known as Korail Class 160000 or EMU-320, is a South Korean high-speed

electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number o ...

train manufactured by

Hyundai Rotem Hyundai Rotem Company, often referred to as Hyundai Rotem (), is a South Korean manufacturer of railway rolling stock, railway signalling, defense products and plant equipment. It is a member of Hyundai Motor Group and has presence in more than ...

and operated by

Korail The Korea Railroad Corporation () is the national railway operator in South Korea. It is branded as KORAIL () and changed its official Korean name () in November 2019. Currently, KORAIL is a public corporation, managed by Ministry of Land, ...

. It is the second domestically designed and developed high-speed EMU in commercial service (the first being

KTX-Eum The KTX-Eum (), also known as Korail Class 150000 or EMU-260, is a South Korean high-speed electric multiple unit train manufactured by Hyundai Rotem and operated by Korail. It is the first domestically designed and developed high-speed EMU in ...

) in South Korea, which marks the departure of the country's high-speed rail rolling stock from

TGV The TGV (; , , 'high-speed train') is France's intercity high-speed rail service. With commercial operating speeds of up to on the newer lines, the TGV was conceived at the same period as other technological projects such as the Ariane 1 rocke ...

-style power car-unpowered trailer configuration.

History

In September 2016, Korail held a contest for the public to decide the design of the new models. After the development of

HEMU-430X HEMU-430X (standing for High-Speed Electric Multiple Unit 430 km/h eXperimental) is a South Korean high-speed train intended for a maximum speed of . On 31 March 2013, it achieved in a test run, making South Korea the world's fourth count ...

, Hyundai-Rotem and Korail signed an agreement in December 2016 for supplying high speed trains that are

electric multiple units An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number ...

, the first of its kind in South Korea in commercial service (the HEMU-430X is also an electric multiple unit, but it is not for service and mass production). The order was for two variants: 2 eight-car EMU-320 units (with an operating speed of 320 km/h) and 19 six-car EMU-260 units, to be delivered around 2020–2021. In 2017, a mockup of the chosen design was exhibited to the public to promote the sister train (EMU-260) and receive feedback. On March 28, 2022, it was reported that the EMU-320 consisting of 25 units for Korail and 19 units for

SR Corporation SR Corporation (, formerly ''Suseo High Speed Rail Corporation''), also known as Supreme Railways, is a South Korean rail operator that operates high-speed rail services. The company was established in December 2013 and adopted its current name ...

were scheduled to be delivered from December 2023. Elements of the EMU-320 had to be re-designed due to serious concerns about excessive noise levels in the cab and passenger compartments, a key reason for its delay. Measures including improving the pantograph's shape and adding sound insulation to the ceiling and floor have been taken to reduce noise levels. Hyundai Rotem paid 19 billion won in damages for the delay in delivery. The two pre-series sets built by Hyundai Rotem following a 2016 contract were delivered to Korail in November 2023 and were expected to begin operations in 2024. The model was officially renamed "KTX-Cheongryong" () in April 2024. The word '' in

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in t ...

means 'blue dragon'. This name was selected by members of the public, which signifies "a blue dragon soaring vigorously to bring hope to the people" and matches the Year of the Blue

Dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...

(i.e. 2024) according to the Korean zodiac. The two pre-series sets entered service on the

Gyeongbu high-speed railway The Gyeongbu high-speed railway, also known as Gyeongbu HSR, is South Korea's first high-speed rail line from Seoul to Busan. KTX high-speed trains operate three sections of the line: on 1 April 2004, the first between a junction near Geumch ...

and

Honam high-speed railway The Honam high-speed railway, also known as Honam HSR, is a high-speed rail between Osong (on the existing Gyeongbu high-speed railway) and Mokpo in South Korea. The line is a part of Korail's Korea Train Express (KTX) system, accelerating Seo ...

since May 1, 2024. The remaining 17 trainsets ordered by Korail are scheduled to be delivered between April 2027 and March 2028, and another 14 trainsets to be delivered to SR Corporation from 2027 onwards. In September 2024, the EMU-320 high-speed train (the original name is used for further research and sales after naming as KTX-Cheongryong in South Korea) obtained the design certification of Technical Specification for Interoperability (TSI), which paved the way for Hyundai Rotem into the European high-speed rail market.

Design

Technology incorporated in these trains is derived from the experimental

train previously tested by Korail. The KTX-Cheongryong will feature the same design as

trains, however the formation will consist of eight cars as opposed to six cars. Unlike the previous generations of KTX trains, the KTX-Cheongryong uses distributed traction with driving revenue cars at each end and six powered intermediate cars as opposed to a

-style power car-unpowered trailer configuration. Aerodynamic changes to the front of the train are claimed to offer 10% lower resistance compared to previous high speed trains in South Korea. Trains will be equipped with sliding steps to cater for high and low platform heights. Seats in both first and second class will be capable of being rotated to face the direction of travel from a single control unit. The train can accelerate from 0 to 300 km/h (0 to 186 mph) in 212 seconds, in contrast to 316 seconds for the

KTX-Sancheon The KTX-Sancheon (, formerly called the KTX-II) is a South Korean high-speed train built by Hyundai Rotem and operated by Korail and SR Corporation. With the maximum operational speed of , the KTX-Sancheon is the second commercial high-speed trai ...

Interior

Unlike

KTX-I The KTX-I, also known as the TGV-K or Korail Class 100000, is a South Korean high speed train class based on the French TGV Réseau. The 20-car formation of the trainsets without a restaurant car is optimized for high capacity. The 46 trainsets ...

and

, the seats on KTX-Cheongryong feature more leg room, wider armrests, USB ports, wireless charging pads, and entertainment displays similar to the inflight entertainment system found on aircraft. In addition, every seat is aligned with a window.

Gallery

References

External links

About KTX-Cheongryong
(

) {{High-speed rail High-speed trains of South Korea Electric multiple units of South Korea Hyundai Rotem multiple units 25 kV AC multiple units Train-related introductions in 2024