KTX-II
Encyclopedia
KTX-II, or KTX-Sancheon, is a South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

n high-speed train
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...

 built by Hyundai Rotem in the second half of the 2000s and operated by Korail
Korail
Korea Railroad Corporation , promoted as Korail , is the national railroad operator in South Korea.Korail operates passenger and freight trains throughout South Korea...

 since March 2009. The trains with a top speed of 305 km/h (190 mph) are the first commercial high-speed trains developed in South Korea.

History

When South Korea started its high-speed rail project, rolling stock and infrastructure was built in the framework of a technology transfer agreement between GEC-Alsthom (today Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...

), the main maker of French TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....

 high-speed trains, and South Korean companies. Thus Korea Train Express
Korea Train Express
Korea Train eXpress is South Korea's high-speed rail system, operated by Korail. Construction began on the first section of the high-speed line from Seoul to Busan in 1992. The project was later split into two phases and combined with conventional line upgrades, adding a second route from Seoul to...

 (KTX) began operating with KTX-I
KTX-I
The KTX-I or simply KTX, also known as TGV-K, is a South Korean high speed train class based on the French TGV Réseau. The 20-car formation of the trainsets without restaurant car is optimized for high capacity...

 trains, which were derived from the TGV Réseau
SNCF TGV Réseau
The SNCF TGV Réseau trains were built by Alstom between 1992 and 1996. These TGV trainsets are based on the earlier TGV Atlantique.The first Réseau sets entered service in 1993. Fifty dual-voltage trainsets were built in 1992-1994, numbered 501-550. A further 40 triple-voltage trainsets, numbered...

, and built both by Alstom and Rotem. The technology transfer agreement did not provide for a complete control of manufacturing processes, and construction involved the import of parts. To increase the domestic added value, in 1996, an alliance of South Korean government research agencies, universities and private companies started a project named G7 to develop domestic high-speed rail technology.

The main element of the G7 project was the 7-car experimental high-speed train HSR-350x
HSR-350x
HSR-350x, alternatively called G7, KHST or NG-KTX, and later officially re-named Hanvit 350, is a South Korean experimental high-speed train. It was developed and built in a joint project of government research institutes, universities and private companies that started in 1996, which aimed to...

, originally intended as the prototype of a train with 20-car and 11-car versions for 350 km/h (217 mph) commercial service. The experimental train was used for trials from 2002, and achieved the South Korean rail speed record of 352.4 km/h (219 mph) on December 16, 2004.

Already before HSR-350x was finished, in 2001, a study focusing on the needs of the less frequented Honam Line
Honam Line
The Honam Line is a major railway line serving the Honam region in South Korea. The line is served by frequent passenger trains from Seoul to Gwangju and Mokpo.-History:...

 proposed a modified, modular train that allows shorter configurations by removing traction equipment from the intermediate cars next to the traction heads, while reducing top speed to 300 km/h (186 mph). Possible configurations would have been 12-car, 10-car and 8-car versions with two traction heads and 8-car, 6-car versions with one traction head and a driving trailer. The versions with two traction heads would have offered 500, 384 and 268 seats respectively. The active passenger compartment pressure control system of the HSR-350x wasn't deemed necessary for the proposed Honam high-speed train, only pressure isolation as in the KTX-I.

The view that shorter trains have to be added to the KTX rolling stock for operational flexibility was reinforced by the actual Honam KTX seat occupation trends after the launch of KTX services on April 1, 2004 with the 20-car KTX-I trains. In July 2005, the Ministry of Construction and Transportation earmarked 80 billion won
South Korean won
The won is the currency of South Korea. A single won is divided into 100 jeon, the monetary subunit. The jeon is no longer used for everyday transactions, and appears only in foreign exchange rates...

 for two 10-car commercial trains for 300 km/h (186 mph), destined for planned KTX services on the Jeolla Line
Jeolla Line
The Jeolla Line is a railway line in North and South Jeolla Provinces in South Korea. The line is served by frequent passenger trains from Seoul to Yeosu...

 from 2008. In October 2005, however, Korail called competitive bids. Rotem, offering a commercial version of the HSR-350x, was chosen over Alstom as preferred bidder for the 300 billion won order in December 2005. The order for 10 trains for a price equal to US$306 million was placed on June 6, 2006. Six of the trainsets were intended for the Honam KTX service from June 2009, four for the Jeolla KTX service from June 2010. A second batch of nine sets was ordered in December 2007, intended for Gyeongjeon KTX services between Seoul and Masan
Masan Station
Masan Station is a railway station in Changwon, South Korea. Built Masan Station, Gumasan Station is closed. It is on Gyeongjeon Line....

, to be delivered by December 2010. A third batch of five sets was ordered on December 9, 2008; for delivery by December 2011, intended to strengthen Gyeongbu KTX services.

A mock-up showing the exterior and interior design of two passenger cars was shown at exhibitions in 2007, with one of the mock-up cars built as a driving trailer to also display the nose design of the traction heads of the actual train. On November 25, 2008, the first KTX-II set was revealed to the public in a roll-out ceremony at the Hyundai Rotem factory in Changwon
Changwon
Changwon is a city in and the capital of Gyeongsangnam-do in South Korea. Changwon city is 8th most populous city in South Korea, with a 2010 established population of 1,089,039. It encompasses a land area of on southeastern of South Korea. The population of Southeastern part of Korea, that...

.

Hyundai Rotem also offered the KTX-II in the competition to supply rolling stock for Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

's Rio–São Paulo
Rio–São Paulo High-speed rail
Rio–São Paulo high-speed rail is a planned high-speed rail project to connect Brazil's two largest cities: São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. While originally planned to be operational by 2014, in time for the 20th FIFA World Cup to be held in Brazil, at a cost of $9 billion, as of February 2010...

 project.

Technical details

Like the HSR-350x, the KTX-II consists of two traction heads, that is the power cars at both ends, and an articulated set of trailers for passengers in-between; but the number of intermediate cars is eight, and no intermediate car is powered. Two sets can be coupled together with automatic coupler
Coupling (railway)
A coupling is a mechanism for connecting rolling stock in a train. The design of the coupler is standard, and is almost as important as the railway gauge, since flexibility and convenience are maximised if all rolling stock can be coupled together.The equipment that connects the couplings to the...

s of the Scharfenberg type. The couplers and the surrounding structure form an integral unit, the so-called front ends, which were supplied by German industrial company Voith
Voith
The Voith GmbH, which is headquartered in Germany, is a family-run corporation in the mechanical engineering sector with worldwide operations....

. The vehicles received a new exterior front shape, designed by French design studio MBD Design. The aerodynamic shape was inspired by the cherry salmon, an indigenous fish.

Like for the HSR-350x, the carbody of intermediate cars is made of aluminum. Unlike the HSR-350x, the vehicle lacks bogie shrouding. Compared to the KTX-I, window thickness was increased from 29 to 38 mm (1.1 to 1.5 in) by adding a fourth layer, to improve sound insulation and pressurization. The total width of passenger cars was increased from 2904 to 2970 mm (114.3 to 116.9 in).

The KTX-II's traction motors, converters, traction control and braking system are domestic developments resulting from the HSR-350x programme. The traction motors are asynchronous induction motor
Induction motor
An induction or asynchronous motor is a type of AC motor where power is supplied to the rotor by means of electromagnetic induction. These motors are widely used in industrial drives, particularly polyphase induction motors, because they are robust and have no brushes...

s like those of the HSR-350x, rather than synchronous motor
Synchronous motor
A synchronous electric motor is an AC motor distinguished by a rotor spinning with coils passing magnets at the same rate as the power supply frequency and resulting rotating magnetic field which drives it....

s as on the KTX-I. Final drive gearbox
Transmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...

es were supplied by Voith. The power electronics in the converters use newly available IGBTs, supplied by American semiconductor manufacturer IXYS, rather than the originally foreseen but unreliable IGCTs of the HSR-350x. Each traction converter consists of two parallel-switched four-quadrant converters, which function as rectifier
Rectifier
A rectifier is an electrical device that converts alternating current , which periodically reverses direction, to direct current , which flows in only one direction. The process is known as rectification...

 modules by converting single-phase alternating current
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....

 (AC) from one main transformer winding
Coil
A coil is a series of loops. A coiled coil is a structure in which the coil itself is in turn also looping.-Electromagnetic coils:An electromagnetic coil is formed when a conductor is wound around a core or form to create an inductor or electromagnet...

 each to direct current
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...

 (DC), a 2,800 V DC intermediate circuit, and one inverter
Inverter (electrical)
An inverter is an electrical device that converts direct current to alternating current ; the converted AC can be at any required voltage and frequency with the use of appropriate transformers, switching, and control circuits....

 module converting the DC supply to the three-phase AC supply for traction motors. Each converter supplies the motors on two axles of a bogie, providing for individual bogie control. All auxiliary power is supplied by separate 1 MW auxiliary units, one per traction head, consisting of two pairs of parallel-switched IGBT-based converter modules acting as rectifiers between one main transformer winding and the 670 V DC head end power
Head end power
Head end power or electric train supply is a rail transport term for the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive at the front or “head” of a train or a generator car, generates all the electricity used for lighting, electrical and other...

. The VVVF inverters for the motor and converter cooling fans and the air compressor, the constant voltage constant frequency (CVCF) inverters for the cab air-conditioning, the battery charge, the on-board AC supply and the oil pumps are connected to the head end power within the auxiliary unit. The pantograph, supplied by Austrian company Melecs MWW, is a standard type certified for 350 km/h (217 mph) and also used on Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...

's ICE S experimental and test train, the Siemens Velaro
Siemens Velaro
Siemens Velaro is a family of high-speed EMU trains used in Europe and China. The Velaro is based on Deutsche Bahn's ICE 3 high-speed trains, but is a full Siemens product unlike the ICE 3 which involved other manufacturers....

 high-speed train family, and the China Railways CRH2
China Railways CRH2
The CRH2 is one of the high-speed train models in China. Originally, the CRH2 was a modified E2-1000 Series Shinkansen design from Japan with the license purchased from a consortium formed of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, and Hitachi, and represents the second...

.

The train can accelerate from 0 to 300 km/h (0 to 186.4 mph) in 316 seconds, in contrast to 365 seconds for the KTX-I. Design speed is 330 km/h (205 mph), and revenue service speed is 305 km/h (190 mph), similar to the KTX-I. Braking distance from 300 km/h (186 mph) is 3300 m (10,827 ft).

The third intermediate car offers elevated comfort First Class seating, the others Standard Class. Swivelling seats, which can be rotated around at terminal stations so that they always face in the direction of travel, are installed in both classes, rather than only in First Class as on the KTX-I. Compared to the KTX-I, seat distance was increased from 930 to 980 mm (36.6 to 38.6 in) to provide more leg room. The fourth passenger car houses a snack bar and family compartments with separated facing seats. Other passenger comfort features include wireless internet access and digital multimedia broadcasts, and business compartments with small tables. Like on the KTX-I, all passenger compartments are equipped with ceiling-mounted video displays, but 19" LCD screens are used instead of 17" ones. Unlike those of the KTX-I, the KTX-II passenger compartments were fitted with fire detectors. Toilet doors were automatised, and the toilet in the first passenger car is suited for disabled persons.

In addition to ATC
Automatic Train Control
Automatic Train Control is a train protection system for railways, ensuring the safe and smooth operation of trains on ATC-enabled lines. Its main advantages include making possible the use of cab signalling instead of track-side signals and the use of smooth deceleration patterns in lieu of the...

 for high-speed lines and traditional ATS
Automatic Train Stop
An automatic train stop is a system on a train that will automatically stop a train if certain situations happened to prevent accidents from happening....

 for conventional lines, the trains were among the first to be equipped with the new domestically developed ATP automatic train protection system. The ERTMS
European Rail Traffic Management System
The European Rail Traffic Management System is an initiative backed by the European Union to enhance cross-border interoperability and signalling procurement by creating a single Europe-wide standard for train control and command systems....

-compatible system is meant as an improvement over ATS on conventional lines, and makes shorter braking distances possible by allowing braking from full speed to stop in one step.

Domestic added value was increased from 58% for the KTX-I to 87%. According to the Korea Railroad Research Institute, the purchase of KTX-II trains was calculated to save 840 billion won compared to a forecast spending of 7,500 billion won until 2020 if high-speed trains had been imported.

Operation

Following testing, the KTX-II carried its first passengers in a preview run on February 11, 2010. After a naming competition held in the next ten days, the KTX-II was officially renamed as KTX-Sancheon (KTX 산천), where sancheon is cherry salmon in Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...

.

Commercial KTX-Sancheon service started on March 2, 2010. In contrast to the original plans, the first trains are used both in Honam and Gyeongbu KTX service. Korail started to operate its first pair of non-stop services on the Seoul–Busan relation on December 1, 2010, using KTX-Sancheon trains. Gyeongjeon KTX service to Masan started on December 15, 2010.

Until December 2010, KTX-Sancheon trains broke down 15 times, with most incidents related to the signal device. Domestic observers expressed fear that the news of the breakdowns will negatively impact Rotem's chances in the competition to supply the Rio–São Paulo project or the US state of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

's CHSR
California high-speed rail
The California High-Speed Rail project is a planned future high-speed rail system in the state of California and headed by the California High-Speed Rail Authority . Initial funding for the project was approved by California voters on November 4, 2008, with the passage of Proposition 1A...

 project, while Korail argued that the publication of start-up glitches is a result of its policy to make all information public, contrasting it with Chinese makers.

On February 11, 2011, a KTX-Sancheon train bound for Seoul from Busan derailed on a switch in a tunnel 500 m (1,640.4 ft) before Gwangmyeong Station
Gwangmyeong Station
Gwangmyeong Station is a train station in Gwangmyeong, South Korea. The station was newly built as a stop of national railway operator Korail's KTX high-speed service, south of Seoul Station.-Disambiguation:...

, when travelling at around 90 km/h (55.9 mph). Only one passenger suffered slight injury. Preliminary investigation found no problems with the train, but indicated that the accident was caused by human errors by maintenance workers. At the time, three cars of the train were reserved for the entourage of the President of South Korea
President of South Korea
The President of the Republic of Korea is, according to the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, chief executive of the government, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and the head of state of the Republic of Korea...

, Lee Myung-bak
Lee Myung-bak
Lee Myung-bak is the President of South Korea. Prior to his presidency, he was the CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction and the mayor of Seoul. He is married to Kim Yoon-ok and has three daughters and one son. His older brother is Lee Sang-deuk, a South Korean politician. He attends the...

, although he wasn't on board at the time of the accident.

See also

  • HEMU-400X
    HEMU-400X
    HEMU-400X is an in-construction South Korean experimental high-speed train intended for tests between 2011 and 2014 at up to . The main new feature of the train compared to older South Korean high-speed trains is distributed traction...

  • List of Korea-related topics
  • Rail transport in South Korea
    Rail transport in South Korea
    The rail transportation system in South Korea includes mainline railway lines, and rapid transit system in some major cities.- Korean Empire and Partition :...

  • Tilting Train Express
    Tilting Train Express
    Tilting Train Express or Hanvit 200 is a South Korean experimental high-speed tilting train, which is currently being tested by the Korea Railroad Research Institute .-Technical details:...

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