HSR-350x

Infobox Korean name
logo=KOREAN G7 LOGO.jpg


caption=A frontal sideway view of the HSR-350x prototype high-speed rail train that broke the 350 km/h mark on December 2004.
hangul=한국형 고속철도
hanja=韓國形 高速鐵道
mr=Han-gukhyung Kosok Ch'ŏlto
rr=Han-gukhyung Gosok Cheoldo

HSR-350x (High-speed rail 350x), also known as Korean G-7, is an experimental high speed train which was developed independently by South Korea. The main motivation was to reduce traffic problems and to raise the nation's science and technology to the level of the world's top leaders, at the time known as the G-7 (with the inclusion of Russia in 1997, it was renamed the G8). This explains why HSR-350x is also known as "Korean G-7" or "G7" as a short form.

Train overview

South Korean engineers began working on the High Speed Rail project in 1995. However, Korea has always had ambitions to develop HSR technology independently. Rotem and the National Rail Technology Institute of Korea have been researching and developing high speed rolling stock for 10 years, under the name of HSR-350x a couple of years before the arrival of French TGV technology in Korea. HSR-350 was intended to run 350 km/h (217 mph) in regular service, which is 50 km/h faster than its rival, the TGV-based KTX, whose commercial speed is (300 km/h, 186 mph). Although globally dominant along with the Japanese Shinkansen technology, Alstom's TGV system does not incorporate some recent Korean technological innovations, such as an aluminum body, digital traffic control and a pressure compensation system. Due to the complaints about fixed-direction seats, the HSR-350x's seats are rotatable. HSR-350x is nearing the end of its development and is expected to be available by the end of 2008.

Expectations

HSR-350x development project period is well planned to cover five years, with budget of US$ 42.9 million in total. They expect to develop the Gyeongbu Line's HSR technology, and the increase for the export, and decrease for the import.cite web |title=KRRI: Korean High-speed train |url=http://www.krri.re.kr/krri/np/high/20060727/1_13328.html |date=2004-12-12. |accessdate=2006-12-01 |publisher=Korean Railroad Research Institute]

Speed

During the first test, this train did not reach 100 km/h. After years of work and testing, however, at 1:20 a.m. on December 16, 2004, the G7 cut through the early morning fog between the Chonan and Shintanjin corridor, just exceeding 350 km/h (217 mph). The prototype, built by KRRI (Korean Railroad Research Institute), passed the mark of 350 km/h, reaching up to 352.4 km/h (218.9 mph) which was viewed on the screen, breaking the past record of 343.5 km/h (213 mph) on its trial run.

National and international connections

According to UIC, "high-speed train" is a train that runs at over 250 km/h on dedicated tracks, or over 200 km/h on upgraded conventional tracks. [cite web |title=General definitions of highspeed |url=http://www.uic.asso.fr/gv/article.php3?id_article=14 |publisher=UIC |date=2006-11-28 |accessdate=2007-01-03] On the other hand, Korean media seems to define "high-speed train" as a train that runs at over 300 km/h. Under Korean definition, Korea would be the seventh country to originally develop one (albeit still in experimental stage), after France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Spain, and possibly China (PRC) (in experimental stage) [cite web |title=China Star completes rigorous test programme: China's first indigenous high-speed train, China Star, has successfully completed a rigorous series of tests and trial operation |url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQQ/is_11_45/ai_n15857900 |date=2005-11 |publisher=International Railway Journal] , although KRRI, as well as Korean media, state Korea is the fourth nation in the world to develop high-speed trains independently (after France, Germany, and Japan). [cite web |title=Korea High Speed Rail streaks past 350km |url=http://www.krri.re.kr/krri/news/20041221/1_3045.html |date=2004-12-12 |accessdate=2006-12-01 |publisher=Korean Railroad Research Institute] Korea, in 2006, is the one of six leading nations in HSR technology (France, Germany, Japan, Italy, South Korea, Spain, and possibly USA). After winning successfully at the bid, six of 10-unit set G-7 trains will be introduced and delivered on Honam Line by 2008. The HSR-350x train sets are currently being licence produced by the EUROTEM factory (a joint enterprise between TÜVASAŞ and ROTEM) in Turkey and the future goal for South Korea is to become one of the top four largest HSR producers in the world, by offering Korean HSR products to China, Taiwan, and the United States. [cite web |title=HSR-350x emerged first runner up at High speed train bid |url=http://www.krri.re.kr/krri/news/2005/12/22/2169,25184,0,0,0.htm |date=2005-12-22 |accessdate=2006-12-01 |publisher=Korean Railroad Research Institute]

See also

* Korea Train Express
* Tilting Train Express
* High-speed rail in Turkey

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.krri.re.kr Korea Railroad Research institute]