Variable Gauge Bogie

The variable gauge bogie developed by the Korea Railroad Research Institute.
The variable gauge bogie developed by the Korea Railroad Research Institute.

 

The Korea Railroad Research Institute announced on March 30 that it developed a variable gauge bogie compatible with both the wide gauges used in Russia and the standard gauges in Korea.

A bogie is a type of box that surrounds train wheels. It is made up of a bogie frame, wheels, axles, bearing boxes, springs and the like, and faces the upper parts of rails. South and North Korea and China use standard gauges with a width of 1,435 mm, whereas the width of those used in Russia is 1,520 mm. Such wide gauges ensure higher transport capacity but cost more.

If a train departing from South Korea is to reach Europe via North Korea and Russia, the bogie has to be replaced to suit the gauge. This is why the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il used to spend five to seven hours, during his visits to Russia, at the boundary between the north and Russia.

As mentioned above, the problem associated with bogie change has been a roadblock to railway transport from Korea to Russia. However, the institute’s new development is expected to be a perfect solution. The new bogie can not only be adjusted to both of the gauges, but also run at a speed of up to 280 km per hour. Trains employing the bogie do not have to be stopped even in the boundary area, but are capable of driving at 10 to 30 km per hour while switching gauges.

The institute’s bogie has excellent high-speed driving performance, long-range performance, and ease of repair and maintenance, because it is 40 percent lighter in weight and uses about 50 percent less parts than those used between Poland and Lithuania and Spain and France. It has passed component fatigue and shock absorption tests assuming cold weather in Siberia of up to 80 degrees Celsius below zero.

“A variable gauge bogie costs about double bogies in general, but it is 1.2 times to 2.8 times more economical when the time and costs consumed in a boundary area are taken into account,” said Dr. Na Hee-seung at the institute, adding, “It is effective for 2,000 km in traveling distance in most cases, which means its economic efficiency can be maximized in Korea, China, Mongolia, the Maritime Province in Russia, etc.”

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