The Korea Railroad Corporation is the national railway operator in South Korea. It is branded as KORAIL (코레일) and changed its official Korean name in November 2019. Currently, KORAIL is a public corporation, managed by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation.
The Jungang line is a railway line connecting Cheongnyangni in Seoul to Moryang in Gyeongju in South Korea, traversing central South Korea from the northwest to the southeast. It is also referred to as the rail line of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway from Yongsan station to Jipyeong station. The section from Cheongnyangni to Dodam was designated as a semi-high-speed railway.
The Gyeongchun Line is a regional rail line between Seoul and Chuncheon, South Korea, operated by Korail. Its name is derived from Gyeong and Chuncheon. It was completely reconstructed in the 2000s. Service on it has operated between Sangbong station on the Jungang Line in eastern Seoul and Chuncheon station, as part of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway system, since December 21, 2010. A class of regional rail service named ITX-Cheongchun began operations on February 28, 2012, linking Chuncheon to Cheongnyangni and Yongsan Stations.
Seoul Station (Korean: 서울역) is a major railway station in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The station is served by the Korail Intercity Lines and the commuter trains of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway.
The Yeongdong Line is a line of Korail. It connects Yeongju in North Gyeongsang Province with Gangneung in Gangwon Province. From Yeongju, it crosses the Taebaek Mountains and reaches the Sea of Japan at Donghae, thence proceeding north to Gangneung.
The Mugunghwa-ho (Korean: 무궁화호) is a class of train operated by Korail, the main railway operator of South Korea. Mugunghwa trains are Korail's slowest tier of trains stopping at a number of towns and villages, and operating over a number of lines that are not served by other trains. Journey times are generally twice that of KTX trains and 25% longer than ITX express trains.
The Commuter Train was a class of short-run commuter trains operated by Korail, the national railroad of South Korea. They operated once or twice daily in each direction, along a few tens of kilometers of track. They provided an important function for many smaller rural communities, which often lack good transit connections. Commuter Train operations on the Gyeongwon line was temporarily suspended its operation on April 1, 2019, due to the construction and partial electrification of the line for the Soyosan-Yeoncheon extension of Seoul Subway Line 1. They were permanently suspended on December 16, 2023, after the opening of the Yeoncheon extension, and due to the old age of CDC trains. This effectively ended regular train service north of Yeoncheon Station, with the provincial government of Cheolwon lodging a complaint. Commuter trains last operated on the Gwangju Line in Gwangju between GwangjuSongjeong and Gwangju station, from January 1, 2020, until December 17, 2023, permanently being phased out due to the old age of CDC trains.
Railways are a part of the transport network in South Korea and an important mode of the conveyance of people and goods, though they play a secondary role compared to the road network. The network consists of 4,285 km (2,663 mi) of standard-gauge lines connecting all major cities with the exception of Jeju City on Jeju Island, which does not have railways; of the network, 2,790 km (1,730 mi) are double-tracked and 3,187 km (1,980 mi) are electrified. In 2018, rails carried 11.5 percent of all traffic in South Korea – 134.8 million passengers and 30.9 million tonnes of freight – with roads carrying 88.3 percent.
Cheongnyangni station (Korean: 청량리역) is a major railway station located at Dongdaemun District, Seoul, South Korea. It serves as a terminus for passenger trains serving the eastern part of South Korea. KTX, ITX-Cheongchun, and Mugunghwa-ho trains terminate or stop at this station. Several Seoul Metropolitan Subway lines serve the station: Seoul Subway Line 1, the Gyeongchun Line, the Suin–Bundang Line and the Gyeongui–Jungang Line.
The Saemaeul-ho, formerly known as the Saemaul-ho and Saemaul Express, is a class of train operated by Korail, the national railroad of South Korea, since February 8, 1969. Before the introduction of the KTX express trains, the Saemaeul-ho was the fastest class of trains in South Korea, making the journey from Seoul to Busan in less than 5 hours. Saemaeul trains operated on several lines, but they now only operate on the Janghang Line.
Taebaek Line is a single-track electrified railway mainline connecting Jecheon station to Baeksan station in South Korea. At its two ends, the Taebaek Line connects to the Jungang Line and Yeongdong Line. The line was originally two spur lines, which were built across difficult mountainous terrain in stages, before a connection was built. The line includes the steepest section of the South Korean network, a short parallel line that is operated as a second track on the section includes South Korea's longest spiral tunnel. The centerpiece of the last-built section west of Taebaek, is a tunnel that was the longest in South Korea at the time of its construction, and Chujeon Station at the eastern end of the tunnel is the highest altitude in South Korea at 855 m (2,805 ft). In passenger traffic, the line is served by cross-country passenger trains connecting the capital Seoul with Korea's east coast. In freight traffic, while coal transport declined, the line carries significant cement transport. In the winter, regular special trains take tourists along the scenic route.
Tilting Train Express (TTX) or Hanvit 200 is a South Korean experimental tilting train, which was tested by the Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI).
Cheongnyangni-dong (Korean: 청량리동) is a dong (neighborhood) of Dongdaemun District, Seoul, South Korea.
High-speed rail service in South Korea began with the construction of a high-speed line from Seoul to Busan in 1992, and was inspired by Japan's Shinkansen. The first commercial high-speed rail service was launched on 1 April 2004. Currently, South Korea hosts two high-speed rail operators: Korea Train eXpress (KTX) and Super Rapid Train (SRT).
Bujeon station (Korean: 부전역) is a train station in Seomyeon, Busan, South Korea. The station is the terminus of the Donghae Line and the Bujeon Line. In addition, KTX trains on the Gyeongbu Line are planned to stop at the station.
Gangneung station is a railway station on the Yeongdong Line and Gangneung Line in Gyo-dong, Gangneung, Gangwon, South Korea. All Sea Trains and Mugunghwa trains stopped at this station until September 14, 2014 when it was closed because of the construction of the Gangneung Line. Because of this, all Mugunghwa trains had terminated at Jeongdongjin station.
Donghae station is a railway station in Donghae City in Gangwon Province, South Korea. Donghae station is on the Yeongdong Line, the Samcheok Line, the Mukhohang Line, and the Bukpyeong Line.
Jeongdongjin station (Korean: 정동진역) is a railway station on the Yeongdong Line of Korail, the station closest to the beach in South Korea, and a popular cross country train destination from Seoul, for sunrise viewing. It is claimed to be listed in the Guinness World Records as being the closest station and tracks to a beach anywhere in the world.
The Intercity Train eXpress-Saemaeul is a class of train operated by Korail, the national railroad of South Korea, it was introduced on May 12, 2014, to replace the Saemaeul-ho. The new ITX-Saemaeul trains have a faster average speed of 150 kilometers per hour. The name was taken from the Saemaul Undong after a public competition to determine the new train's name.
The KTX-Eum or Korail Class 150000 is a South Korean high-speed electric multiple unit train manufactured by Hyundai Rotem and operated by Korail.
