UTM-02 is a South Korean
maglev
Maglev (derived from '' magnetic levitation'') is a system of rail transport whose rolling stock is levitated by electromagnets rather than rolled on wheels, eliminating rolling resistance.
Compared to conventional railways, maglev trains h ...
train developed for the continuous research of magnetic levitation trains. The vehicle development was undertaken by the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials. It was used on the
National Science Museum Maglev line.
History
In 1989,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
began developing a
maglev
Maglev (derived from '' magnetic levitation'') is a system of rail transport whose rolling stock is levitated by electromagnets rather than rolled on wheels, eliminating rolling resistance.
Compared to conventional railways, maglev trains h ...
train at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials as a national
research and development
Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in some countries as OKB, experiment and design, is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products. R&D constitutes the first stage ...
project.
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 ...
, a company participating in the development project, succeeded in developing a 30 km/h vehicle for the
Expo '93 exhibition in
Daejeon
Daejeon (; ) is South Korea's list of cities in South Korea, fifth-largest metropolis, with a population of nearly 1.5 million. Located in a central lowland valley between the Sobaek Mountains and the Geum River, the city is known both as a ...
.
Afterwards, 43.5 billion won was invested in research and development to develop the pre-commercialization prototype UTM-01 in 1998 and UTM-02 in 2006. By developing UTM-02, the country secured the core technology for maglev trains.
UTM-02 were managed 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 ...
until 2011, but after the contract expired, the
National Science Museum took over management of the vehicles.
Technology
It was manufactured by Hyundai Rotem based on technology from the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials.
It is the first maglev train to start commercial operation in South Korea. Like the
Shinbundang Line
The Shinbundang Line (; literally, ''New Bundang Line'') or DX Line for Dynamic Express Line is a long line of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. It is the world's fifth subway to run completely driverless and the second completely driverless metro ...
and K-AGT, the driver's cabin is connected to the passenger compartment, allowing a full view. The levitation method is a superconducting suction type suitable for low-speed operation, and the average speed is 30 km/h.
Gallery
File:UTM-02.jpg, UTM-02 in operation at the National Science Museum
File:In UTM-02.jpg, Interior
See also
*
National Science Museum Maglev
*
Incheon Airport Maglev
The Incheon Airport Maglev was a maglev line in South Korea that opened on 3 February 2016 and closed on 1 September 2023. It was the world's second commercially operating unmanned urban maglev line after Japan's Linimo. The trains were light ...
*
ECOBEE
References
Maglev trains of South Korea
{{improve categories, date=January 2025