TheKorea Railroad Corporation(Korean:한국철도공사;Hanja:Hàn quốc thiết đạo công xã) is the national railway operator inSouth Korea.It is branded asKORAIL(코레일) and changed its official Korean name (한국철도;Hàn quốc thiết đạo) in November 2019.[5]Currently, KORAIL is apublic corporation,managed byMinistry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation.
 | |
 Headquarters of Korea Railroad Corporation | |
| Company type | Government-owned corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Predecessor | Korean National Railroad |
| Founded | 1 September 1963(as Korean National Railroad) 1 January 2005(renamed as Korail) |
| Headquarters | Soje-dong,Dong-gu,Daejeon,South Korea |
| Revenue | |
 ₩103,400,000,000(2015)[2] | |
| ₩380,759,519(2010)[2] | |
Number of employees |
|
| Subsidiaries | SR Corporation |
| Website | info.korail.comletskorail.com |
| Korea Railroad | |
|---|---|
| Operation | |
| Infrastructure company | KR |
| Statistics | |
| Ridership | 969,145,101[4] |
| Passenger km | 31,415,965,207[4] |
| Freight | 10,553,675,728 ton km[4] |
| System length | |
| Total | 4,128.6 km (2,565.4 mi) |
| Double track | 2,706.5 km (1,681.7 mi) |
| Electrified | 3,043.0 km (1,890.8 mi) |
| High-speed | 1,264.7 km (785.8 mi) |
| Track gauge | |
| Main | 1,435 mm(4 ft8+1⁄2in) |
| High-speed | 1,435 mm(4 ft8+1⁄2in) |
| Electrification | |
| AC 25,000 V 60 Hz | 3,023.8 km (1,878.9 mi) |
| DC 1,500 V | 19.2 km (11.9 mi) |
| Features | |
| No. stations | 691 |
| Highest elevation | 855 m (2,805 ft) |
| at | 37°12′0″N128°56′59.83″E/ 37.20000°N 128.9499528°E |
| Korea Railroad Corporation | |
| Hangul | 한국철도공사 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | Hàn quốc thiết đạo công xã |
| Revised Romanization | Hanguk cheoldo gongsa |
| McCune–Reischauer | Han'guk ch'ŏlto kongsa |
| Korean Railroad (KORAIL) | |
| Hangul | 한국철도 |
| Hanja | Hàn quốc thiết đạo |
| Revised Romanization | Hanguk cheoldo |
| McCune–Reischauer | Han'guk ch'ŏlto |
KORAIL operates intercity/regional, commuter/metro and freight trains throughout South Korea, and has its headquarters inDaejeon.
History
editHistorically, the South Korean railway network was managed by theRailroad Administration Bureauof the Ministry of Transportation before 1963. On 1 September 1963, the bureau became an agency that was known asKorean National Railroad(KNR) in English. In the early 2000s, the split and public corporatization of KNR was decided by the South Korean government, and in 2003, KNR adopted the current KORAIL logo in blue to prepare for corporatization. On 1 January 2005, KNR was split intoKorea Railroad Corporation(KORAIL), which succeeded railway operation with the KORAIL logo and name, andKorea National Railway(KR), which succeeded in railway construction and maintaining tracks.
Finances
editFares are set according to distance.
KORAIL has posted losses every year for the last decade, with the exception of 2015.
In 2021 alone, the deficit was 1.1081 trillion won.
As of the end of 2021, the cumulative deficit is 18.66 trillion won.
Rail fares have been frozen since they were raised by 4.9% in 2011.
In the 2021 public institution management evaluation, KORAIL was given the lowest grade of E (extremely unsatisfactory).[6]
Services
editExcluding the other high-speed service provider, SR, South Korean high-speed and intercity services are provided by KORAIL. Currently, KORAIL provides 5 classes of railway and metro services.
KTX
edit
KTX(Korea Train eXpress) is currently the highest class of KORAIL services. KTX services are provided on theGyeongbu HSRandHonam HSR,as well as their branches such asGyeongjeon Line,Donghae Line,orJeolla Line.
ITX
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ITX(Intercity Train eXpress) are a group of intercity services. The first ITX service was introduced in 2012, which was namedITX-Cheongchun(ITX-청춘) onGyeongchun Line.
Before the introduction of ITX services, intercity trains were namedSaemaul-ho(새마을호), which borrowed its name fromNew Community Movement.Later, Saemaul-ho services are merged into ITX asITX-Saemaeul(ITX-새마을). Currently, the remaining Saemaul-ho services are only operated onJanghang Line.
In late 2023, another new ITX train equivalent to ITX-Saemaeul was introduced and namedITX-Maum.
Mugunghwa-ho and Nuriro
edit
Mugunghwa-ho(무궁화호) and its planned successorNuriro(누리로) services are regional train services of KORAIL. Mugunghwa-ho, inspired by its name from the national floral emblemhibiscus,was introduced as express service at first, but after the introduction of KTX, it was degraded into regional services.
Currently, Nuriro services are provided by only EMU trains (class 20). KORAIL has a plan of introducing Nuriro with the newly ordered EMU-150.
Urban railway services
edit
Named as metro services (전동열차), these services are provided in theSeoul Metropolitan Areaand theBusan Metropolitan Area.Sometimes it is considered as a successor of Bidulgi-ho (비둘기호) class trains. Officially, the fare systems of these services are separate from other services operated by Korail; such services are integrated with subway fare systems, allowing free transfers between Korail-operated lines and local metro lines.
Seoul
edit
Line 1is a large service corridor consisting of the following Korail lines thatthrough operateto and fromSeoul MetroLine 1
Line 3
Line 4is a long service corridor consisting of the following Korail lines thatthrough operateto and fromSeoul MetroLine 4
a large service corridor consisting of the following lines:
- Bundang Line(1994) — (Cheongnyangni–Suwon)
- Suin Line(2012) — (Suwon–Incheon)
— (Seoul–Chuncheon)
a large service corridor consisting of the following lines:
Gyeonggang Line— (Pangyo–Yeoju)
Busan
edit
Donghae Line— (Bujeon–Taehwagang) is part of Donghae Line service
Sightseeing trains
editKORAIL has a number oftouristor sightseeing trains, including theSea Train,DMZ Train,V-Train,S-Train,A-Train,andG-Train.[7]
Passes
editKorail offers a rail pass calledKorea Rail Pass,or KR Pass for short, to foreign travelers, such that they can take most of the trains operated by Korail freely, including KTX. However, subways and tourist trains operated by KORAIL are not covered.[8]
Foreigners living in South Korea for more than six months are ineligible to use a KR Pass, but Korail offers the Happy Rail Pass, which is very similar to the KR Pass, for a slightly higher price.[8]
Labor relations
editMost of the railroad's employees are members of theKorean Railway Workers' Union,which is frequently at odds with KORAIL management.Strikes,such as theSouth Korean railroad strike of 2006,are not uncommon.
In December 2013, 23,000–100,000 union members and friends protested the privatization of KORAIL in Seoul.[9]
Subsidiaries
edit- Korail Networks, for ticketing management andKorail frequent riders program.
- Korail Retail, for advertisement management and running "Storyway"convenience store.
- Korail Tour Service, forKTX/Saemaeul-hotrain crew and travel service.
International service
edit
Until thedivision of Koreafollowing the end of theSecond World War,theGyeongui LineandGyeongwon Lineextended into what is nowNorth Korea.TheGyeongui LineconnectedSeoultoKaesong,Pyongyang,andSinuijuon the Chinese border, while theGyeongwon LineservedWonsanon the east coast. Another line—theKumgangsan Electric Railway—connected the town ofCheorwon,now on the border ofNorthandSouth Korea,on theGyeongwon Line,toMt. Geumgang,now in theNorth.
TheGyeongui Lineis one of two lines whose southern and northern halves are now being reconnected, the other line being theDonghae Bukbu Line.On 17 May 2007, two test trains ran on the reconnected lines: one on the west line fromMunsantoKaesong;the second on the east fromJejintoKumgang.[10]
In December 2007, regular freight service started on the Gyeongui line, from South Korea into theKaesong Industrial Parkin the north. The service has been underutilized, however: as it was reported in October 2008, on 150 out of 163 return trips that had been done so far, the train carried no cargo at all. The total amount of cargo carried over this period had been merely 340 tons. This absence of interest in the service has been explained by the customers' (companies operating in Kaesong) preference for road transport.[11]In November 2008, North Korea shut down the link.[12]However, railroad transportation from South Korea to North Korea resumed again on 30 November 2018, when a South Korean train carrying railroad inspectors entered North Korea.[13][14]
ATrans-Korean Main Line,spanning North Korea and connecting toRussian Railways,is being planned.[15]On 30 November 2018, 30 officials from North and South Korea began an 18-day survey in both Koreas to connect the Korean railroads.[16][17][18]The survey, which had previously been obstructed by the Korean Demilitarized Zone's (DMZ) "frontline" guard posts and landmines located at the DMZ's Arrowhead Hill, consists of a 400-kilometer (250 mi)-long railroad section between Kaesong and Sinuiju that cuts through the North's central region and northeastern coast.[12]The railway survey, which involved the inspection of theGyeongui Line,concluded on 5 December 2018.[18]On 8 December 2018, an inter-Korean survey began in both Koreas for theDonghae Line.[19]
On 13 December 2018, it was announced that the groundbreaking ceremony to symbolize the reconnection of the roads and railways in both Koreas will be held on 26 December 2018 in the North Korean city of Kaesong.[20][21]On 17 December 2018, the latest inter-Korean railway survey, which involved an 800-km rail from Kumgangsan near the inter-Korean border to the Tumen River bordering Russia in the east, was completed.[22]A potential threat to the groundbreaking ceremony emerged after it was revealed that the North Korean railway was in poor condition.[22]On 21 December 2018, however, the United States agreed to no longer obstruct plans by both Koreas to hold a groundbreaking ceremony.[23]The same day, a four-day inter-Korean road survey began when ten working-level South Korean surveyors entered North Korea to work with ten North Korean surveyors on a three-day survey 100-km-long section on the eastern Donghae Line.[24]On 24 December 2018, the four-day road survey, which will assist with the groundbreaking ceremony for the railroad, was completed after a separate team of ten South Korean surveyors entered North Korea and joined ten North Korean surveyors to survey a 4-km-long road in Kaesong.[25]On 26 December 2018, the groundbreaking ceremony was held as scheduled in Kaesong.[26]About 100 South Korean officials attended the ceremony after departing to North Korea on a Korail train based at Dorasan Station in Palu.[26][13]
JR Kyushuoffers a jet foil ferry service between Busan and Fukuoka taking about 3 hours. KORAIL andJR Westhad a joint rail pass (called한일공동승차권) which included discountedKTXandShinkansentickets andBusan-Shimonoseki/Fukuokaferrytickets, but the pass was discontinued due to low ridership.
There are no railway connections between both countries. TheKorean Strait undersea tunnelconnectingFukuokaandBusanviaTsushimahad been proposed as far back as 1917, but the plan has never progressed beyond the research phase. While the increased wealth of South Korea and continued growth of trade between the nations has made the economic case for the tunnel more compelling, promotion has focused more on using the project to reduce political tension between the nations.[27]
See also
edit- List of suburban and commuter rail systems
- Korean State Railway,North Korea's national rail operator
- Daejeon Korail FC,Korea National Leaguefootball team.
- Korea Rail Network Authority
- KTX Family Card,frequent riders program
- Transportation in South Korea
References
edit- ^"한국철도공사"(in Korean). JOBKOREA Corp. 2021.Retrieved27 August2021.
- ^ab"2010 Statements of Income".Korail. Archived fromthe originalon 29 June 2013.Retrieved28 May2013.
- ^Korail (2020).2019 철도통계연보 (I)[2019 Statistical Yearbook of Railroad (I)](PDF)(Report). Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. p. 7. Administrative publication registration number: 11-1510000-000002-10.Retrieved27 August2021.
- ^abc"KOSIS 국가통계포털".
- ^유의주 (8 October 2019)."코레일 새 약칭 '한국철도'로 바꾼다…한글사랑 실천"[KORAIL changes its [Korean] abbreviation to 'Korean Railway'... implementing for the love of Hangul].Yonhap News Agency(in Korean).Retrieved13 November2019.
- ^“Korail in deficit of 18.7 trillion, organize low-profit routes!”dongA.com ( August 24, 2022 )
- ^Lee, Sun-Min (24 January 2015)."Planned G-Train offers tourists ultimate comfort".JoongAng Ilbo.Retrieved27 February2015.
- ^ab"Railroad Passes".Archived fromthe originalon 10 August 2013.Retrieved18 September2013.
- ^"[ hiện tràng ] hàn ba の trung 10 vạn の nhân ba “Quốc dân を địch に hồi すな” ".
- ^"Korean trains in historic link-up".BBC News.17 May 2007.Retrieved17 May2007.
- ^Richard Spencer (23 October 2008)."Korean detente railway becomes ghost train".The Daily Telegraph.London.Archivedfrom the original on 12 January 2022.
- ^abAvagnina, Gianluca (30 November 2018)."First train in a decade departs South Korea for North Korea".The Telegraph.Archivedfrom the original on 12 January 2022 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
- ^ab"S. Korean Inspector Train Runs in N. Korea for Re-Connection Survey l KBS WORLD Radio".KBS World.
- ^Kwon, Jake (30 November 2018)."A South Korean train heads North, but sanctions mean it has to carry its own fuel".CNN.Retrieved29 December2018.
- ^"Trans-Korean Main Line - Investment in the Future - Russian Transport Daily Report".29 October 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 27 February 2011.Retrieved30 October2010.
- ^"Koreas Survey Railway Tracks Cut Since the Korean War".VOA.30 November 2018.
- ^"Koreas survey North's railways in hopes of joining networks | the News Tribune".Archived fromthe originalon 30 November 2018.Retrieved30 November2018.
- ^ab"[Newsmaker] Koreas in consultations for joint road inspection".The Korea Herald.5 December 2018.
- ^"Joint Inspection of N. Korea's Eastern Rail Line Begins l KBS WORLD Radio".KBS World.
- ^"(3rd LD) Koreas agree to hold groundbreaking ceremony for rail, road reconnection on Dec. 26".Yonhap News Agency.13 December 2018.Retrieved29 December2018.
- ^Foundation, The Korea International Broadcasting."한국을 대표하는 글로벌 방송! The World On Arirang!".Two Koreas to hold groundbreaking ceremony for railway, road project on 26 Dec.: ARIRANG.
- ^ab"N. Korea railway not in good condition: inspection team".The Korea Herald.17 December 2018.
- ^"US approves inter-Korean railway groundbreaking ceremony: North Korea: News: The Hankyoreh".The Hankyoreh.22 December 2018.Retrieved29 December2018.
- ^"Two Koreas Begin Joint Road Survey l KBS WORLD Radio".KBS World.
- ^Report, Agency (24 December 2018)."S. Korean Officials Visit N. Korea for Joint Road Survey".
- ^ab"Koreas Hold Groundbreaking Ceremony for Stalled Rail Project".Time.Archived fromthe originalon 26 December 2018.
- ^Cazzaniga, Pino (13 October 2009)."Japan and South Korea Increasingly Closer: The Two Nations Are Now Planning The Future Together: An Underwater Tunnel, A Common History Book..."Japan: AsiaNews.it.Retrieved4 December2009.
External links
edit
- Official website(English)
- Online reservation