High Speed Rail Initiatives in Korea

by Gil-Sang Kim, Korea High Speed Rail Construction, Authority,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Pacific Rim TransTech Conference?Volume II: International Ties, Management Systems, Propulsion Technology, Strategic Highway Research Program

Abstract:

The purpose of constructing a high speed rail on the Seoul-Pusan corridor is many fold: to solve intercity traffic congestions, to save energy, to reduce air pollution, and to make possible domestic railway travel to anywhere within half day. The Korea High Speed Rail Authority (KHRC) conducted feasibility studies, weighing the merits of various options: a new highway, upgrading of the existing railway, and a high speed rail system. The KHRC concluded that the high speed rail option is preferable, with its high carrying capacity of 520 thousand passengers per day. If the passengers of the existing rail and the highway were transferred to high speed rail, then freight traffic could travel by means of the highway and the existing rail, thus increasing Korean industrial competitiveness.

Subject Headings: Rail transportation | Traffic congestion | Freight transportation | Air pollution | Traffic speed | Infrastructure construction | Economic factors | South Korea | Asia

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