High Speed Trains to Begin Full Operation on April 1

The Gyeongbu and Honam High Speed Trains will begin full operation on April 1.

In addition, the mid-way stations, where some parts of the trains will make stops, were finally named: Miryang and Gupo stations for the Gyeongbu High Speed Train and Nonsan, Gimje, Joeng-eup, Jangsung, Naju, and other stations for the Honam High Speed Train.

“The Gyeongbu High Speed Train’s first-step construction project and the reconstruction of the Honam rails to make them fit for high speed trains are all drawing to an end,” said Construction and Transportation Minister Kang Dong-suk on January 19. “So we have decided to start the operation of the Gyeongbu and the Honam High Speed Train at the same time.”

The Korean National Railroad, which will operate the high-speed train system with the ministry, will conduct a trial run of the trains with actual operating conditions continuously until late March.

It has taken 12 years for the operation of the high-speed trains to begin since construction first started on the project between Choenan and Daejon in June, 1992.

When the train is operational, the trip between Seoul and Busan will take 2 hours and 40 minutes and the trip between Seoul and Mokpo will take 2 hours and 58 minutes. This literally makes the entire nation accessible in one half-day round trip.

The Gyoengbu line will make regular stops in Seoul, Yongsan, Gwangmyeong, Cheonan and Asan, Daejon, Dong-daegu and Busan. Certain parts of the trains will make additional stops at Miryang and Gupo Station.

The Honam line will make stops at Seoul, Yongsan, Gwangmyeong, Cheonan and Asan, Seo-daejon, Iksan, Songjeongni (Gwangju) and Mokpo, making five additional stops at Nonsan, Gimje, Jeong-eup, Jangsung, and Naju Station.

Gwangmyeong Station will be a mid-way stop during weekdays but will be an originating stop during the weekends.

Meanwhile, opposition parties have insisted that the opening should take place after the April 15 general election because of suspicions that it was meant to coincide with the election. “The starting date of train service was confirmed in 1998,” said the Construction and Transportation Ministry. “It is nonsense to connect this to the general election.”

Jae-Seong Hwang jsonhng@donga.com