Double Decker Train
Hyundai Rotem, the defense and railway equipment manufacturing arm of Hyundai Motor Group, has joined hands with the Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) and the Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) to develop a domestic two-story high-speed train. Hyundai Rotem announced on November 11 that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop the Korean double-decker train with the Korail and the KRRI at the Korail headquarters in Seoul on the 10th, attended by officials of the three firms.
Under the agreement, Hyundai Rotem, in cooperation with the Korail and the KRRI, will develop the nation’s first double-decker train with a speed of 300 kilometers per hour and complete the production and test operation of the two cars by the end of next year. Hyundai Rotem will be in charge of design, production and maintenance, while the Korail and the KRRI take charge of test operation and test measurement and driving stability evaluation, respectively.
Once the development is finished on schedule, it will take five years to manufacture the actual car and the first domestic double-decker train can be commercialized in 2023.
The double-decker train seats 50 percent more people than the single-decker KTX-Ⅰwith 931 seats as it can accommodate as many as 1,404 passengers. Accordingly, the new model with high transport efficiency will help overcome the limited railway capacity and the shortage of seats in lines which are in demand such as the Gyeongbu Line and the Honam Line.
In addition, the competitiveness of Hyundai Rotem, which is seeking to win Turkey and Malaysia-Singapore high-speed train projects, is expected to significantly improve. As the company can expand its business to the high-speed train sector, it will be able to tap into the global high-speed train market which is estimated at more than 9 trillion won (US$7.71 billion) on a yearly basis.