Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Maranag]

That's all well and good, Yaya - but even though his most recent post was negative, it was still more informative and useful than your most recent post.

Why the hatin'? Can't we all just get along?

Back on topic: What's seat availability like? I imagine that it'll be pretty much sold out for the next little while... any ideas? It would be nice to take it for a spin.

[Yaya]

[weatherman]

This fast train. Is it a real bullet train, or some geared up electric jobbie?

The time saved seems to say it isn't a real express train. Sorry to be down about it, but I don't see the wonder in it all.

[J.B. Clamence]

Has anyone noticed that the other trains are dirt cheap ever since they opened the KTX? I usually paid over 5,000 W for a half-hour Mugunghwa ride. I took the same ride twice yesterday, and it was about half price. Is this a temporary deal?

[Mankind]

Stage one. Safely to Pusan

The train is faster, nodoubt. It took 2:50 minutes Seoul to Pusan (nice). The seats are not as comfortable as a Saemaul. The bathroom is more like an airplane. No seperate urinal for the men. This is bad as Korean men have bad aim. Each train holds 951 people. It was much quieter too.

HAND

[Real Reality]

Twenty disabled people, who said they wanted to test the KTX high-speed train's amenities for the disabled, were prevented from boarding yesterday by railway officials. Officials say the train can only accomodate two people in wheelchairs at once.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200404/02/200404022358112639900090409041.html

Do you want to see the formation or configuration of the KTX?
Seats: 935 How many seats for those in wheelchairs?
http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/tgv/formations.html#ktx

Korea Train Express (KTX) Website (English)
http://ktx.korail.go.kr/eng/index.html

On Saturday, an early morning train heading for Pusan from Seoul broke down near Chonan-Asan station due to a malfunction in its transformer, causing a 27-minute delay. It was the second time in three days that the train had reported the same malfunction.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200404/kt2004040418432412070.htm

KTX officials said that Lee appears to have died from a heart attack or other heart ailments brought upon by the epilepsy attack. Besides this tragic incident, several train malfunctions were reported on the first day of commercial operations.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200404/kt2004040218174610510.htm

Bullet Train Remakes Map of South Korea
The new era for South Korea began on Thursday with the start of high-speed service on the first three-quarters of the 253-mile distance from Seoul to here. But in South Korea, where 48 million people live in an area the size of Indiana, traffic jams now cost the economy about $20 billion a year, largely in lost working hours. While South Korea is renowned for having nearly universal high-speed Internet access, highway speeds can be torturous.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/02/business/worldbusiness/02train.html

[Alias]

Took the KTX from Daejon to Seoul and back again this weekend. Only took aout 50 minutes. The seats are definitely not as comfortable as on the samael. But its built for speed an not for comfort.

I'll take the KTX as a time saver. If I got time to spare I'll take the Samael line. I understand that their service is being cut way back so KTX might be my only choice.

By the way, the KTX from Seoul to Daejon was only half full. Kind of surprising. I thought tickets would be impossible to come by this weekend.

[Real Reality]

KTX Passengers Enduring Glitches
Korea's new high-speed trains are continuing to have mechanical problems since they went into service April 1. The first breakdown on April 1 reoccurred after two days on the same train, casting doubt on the operational readiness of the system. In another instance, the power supply along part of the track temporarily shutdown after management failed to clear a bird's nest from power equipment. At Seoul Station, grease between the rail line and pantograph cut power to the line.
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200404/200404040021.html
Photo of magpie's nest
http://english.chosun.com/media/photo/news/200404/200404040021_00.jpg

[Real Reality]

The Ministry of Transportation is scrambling to address passenger complaints about dizziness and discomfort after sitting in rear-facing seats on the trains.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200404/04/200404042236499179900090409041.html

[just because]

Yeah i read the 3% discount but it will take 2 months to come into effect so the system can be changed.
2 months,I think they are just waiting for everyone to forget and that 3% discount is a big bonus.

What impressed more was the late discount in proportion to minutes. That is a good idea.

[Real Reality]

The high-speed Korea Train Express (KTX), which started service Thursday, has already caused public concerns due to frequent malfunctions, delays and a problem with its reservation service. During the first five days of its run, the bullet train reported seven breakdowns and delays.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200404/kt2004040517110412070.htm

How about this for a reason for a shutdown?
temporarily shutdown after management failed to clear a bird's nest from power equipment.
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200404/200404040021.html
Photo of magpie's nest
http://english.chosun.com/media/photo/news/200404/200404040021_00.jpg

[Mankind]

[Real Reality]

Mankind,
Thanks for the information on your experience.

I hope the KTX people work out the glitches. Perhaps, once the glitches are worked out, there will be enough regular seats available.

Defective Bullet Trains
Safety of Passengers Endangered
Defects have been found every day, which is chiefly ascribed to moving the opening day ahead. In particular, the recurring troubles in the power system were reported detected several times during the test runs. Railway experts are already warning of possible deadly accidents, putting the lives of hundreds of passengers at risk.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/opinion/200404/kt2004040520040411300.htm

[waggo]

The French built it!...A fact that I currently enjoy relaying to every Korean who even mentions it.

[Real Reality]

The parties involved

Korea TGV consortium, led by ALSTOM and EUKORAIL
The consortium consists of 13 companies: ALSTOM, and CSEE Transport based in France and Korea-based EUKORAIL, Rotem, Samsung SDS, Samsung Electronics, Iljin Electric, Hyundai, LG Industrial Systems, LG Cable, Hanjin and Daewoo.

They can be grouped as follows:
the core system group: EUKORAIL and ALSTOM Holdings
the catenary group: ALSTOM Transport with LG Cable and Iljin Electric
the rolling stock group: ALSTOM Transport with Rotem ( Hyundai, Hanjin and Daewoo)
the automatic train control group: CSEE Transport and LG Industrial Systems
the signalling, interlocking and centralised traffic control group: ALSTOM Transport with Samsung SDS and LG Industrial systems.

ALSTOM is the global specialist in energy and transport infrastructure.
http://www.alstom.com/static/html/acom-AGF_NavPage-NavPage_AboutUsv3_1039593796058.html

Eukorail
An Korea-based subsidiary of ALSTOM, especially created to lead Franco-Korean consortiums involved in railway construction projects. In the KTX project, the project team worked in 13 sites in Korea including 6 manufacturing and 5 construction sites, with 330 staff involved at the peak time, 50 % of which are expatriates.
http://www.webmag.transport.alstom.com/eMag/externe/international/korea/ktx/mar2004/1/221.asp

Rotem has two plants and two R&D centers in Korea. Rotem manufactures all kinds of trains such as EMUs, high-speed trains, light rail vehicles, locomotives, passenger coaches, freight wagons with about 3,800 professionals including 600 R&D staffs.
10/31/1999 -- Completed the first locally manufactured KTX (Korea train express) car body
http://www.rotem.co.kr/