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Korea Railroad Corporation
(Korail)

Headquarters of Korea Railroad Corporation
Company type	Government-owned corporation
Industry	Rail transport
Predecessor	Korean National Railroad
Founded	1 September 1963; 61 years ago (1963-09-01) (as Korean National Railroad) 1 January 2005; 19 years ago (2005-01-01) (renamed as Korail)
Headquarters	Soje-dong, Dong-gu, Daejeon, South Korea
Revenue	₩ 4.4 trillion  (2020) ₩ 5.6 trillion  (2019)
Operating income	₩ 103,400,000,000 (2015)
Net income	₩ 380,759,519 (2010)
Number of employees	29,281 (2019) 28,329 (2018)
Subsidiaries	SR Corporation
Website	info.korail.com letskorail.com

The Korea Railroad Corporation (Korean: 한국철도공사; Hanja: 韓國鐵道公社) is the national railway operator in South Korea. It is branded as KORAIL (코레일) and changed its official Korean name (한국철도; 韓國鐵道) in November 2019. Currently, KORAIL is a public corporation, managed by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation.

KORAIL operates intercity/regional, commuter/metro and freight trains throughout South Korea, and has its headquarters in Daejeon.

History

Historically, the South Korean railway network was managed by the Railroad Administration Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation before 1963. On 1 September 1963, the bureau became an agency that was known as Korean National Railroad (KNR) in English. In the early 2000s, the split and public corporatization of KNR was decided by the South Korean government, and in 2003, KNR adopted the current KORAIL logo in blue to prepare for corporatization. On 1 January 2005, KNR was split into Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), which succeeded railway operation with the KORAIL logo and name, and Korea National Railway (KR), which succeeded in railway construction and maintaining tracks.

Finances

Fares are set according to distance.
KORAIL has posted losses every year for the last decade, with the exception of 2015.
In 2021 alone, the deficit was 1.1081 trillion won.
As of the end of 2021, the cumulative deficit is 18.66 trillion won.

Rail fares have been frozen since they were raised by 4.9% in 2011.

In the 2021 public institution management evaluation, KORAIL was given the lowest grade of E (extremely unsatisfactory).

Services

Excluding the other high-speed service provider, SR, South Korean high-speed and intercity services are provided by KORAIL. Currently, KORAIL provides 5 classes of railway and metro services.

KTX

KTX (Korea Train eXpress) is currently the highest class of KORAIL services. KTX services are provided on the Gyeongbu HSR and Honam HSR, as well as their branches such as Gyeongjeon Line, Donghae Line, or Jeolla Line.

ITX

ITX (Intercity Train eXpress) are a group of intercity services. The first ITX service was introduced in 2012, which was named ITX-Cheongchun (ITX-청춘) on Gyeongchun Line.

Before the introduction of ITX services, intercity trains were named Saemaul-ho (새마을호), which borrowed its name from New Community Movement. Later, Saemaul-ho services are merged into ITX as ITX-Saemaeul (ITX-새마을). Currently, the remaining Saemaul-ho services are only operated on Janghang Line.

In late 2023, another new ITX train equivalent to ITX-Saemaeul was introduced and named ITX-Maum.

Mugunghwa-ho and Nuriro

Mugunghwa-ho (무궁화호) and its planned successor Nuriro (누리로) services are regional train services of KORAIL. Mugunghwa-ho, inspired by its name from the national floral emblem hibiscus, was introduced as express service at first, but after the introduction of KTX, it was degraded into regional services.

Currently, Nuriro services are provided by only EMU trains (class 20). KORAIL has a plan of introducing Nuriro with the newly ordered EMU-150.

Urban railway services

Named as metro services (전동열차), these services are provided in the Seoul Metropolitan Area and the Busan Metropolitan Area. Sometimes it is considered as a successor of Bidulgi-ho (비둘기호) class trains. Officially, the fare systems of these services are separate from other services operated by Korail; such services are integrated with subway fare systems, allowing free transfers between Korail-operated lines and local metro lines.

Seoul

Line 1 is a large service corridor consisting of the following Korail lines that through operate to and from Seoul Metro Line 1

Gyeongbu Line — (Namyeong–Cheonan)

Gyeongin Line — (Guro–Incheon)

Gyeongwon Line — (Yeoncheon–Hoegi)

Janghang Line — (Cheonan–Sinchang(Soonchunhyang Univ.))

Line 3

Ilsan Line — (Jichuk–Daehwa) with through operation to Seoul Metro Line 3

Line 4 is a long service corridor consisting of the following Korail lines that through operate to and from Seoul Metro Line 4

Jinjeop Line — (Jinjeop–ByeollaeByeolgaram)

Ansan Line — (Geumjeong–Oido)

Gwacheon Line — (Seonbawi–Geumjeong)

a large service corridor consisting of the following lines:

Bundang Line (1994) — (Cheongnyangni–Suwon)

Suin Line (2012) — (Suwon–Incheon)

— (Seoul–Chuncheon)

a large service corridor consisting of the following lines:

Gyeongui Line — (Seoul–Munsan)

Gyeongwon Line — (Hoegi–Yongsan)

Jungang Line — (Cheongnyangni–Jipyeong)

Yongsan Line — (Yongsan–Gajwa)

Gyeonggang Line — (Pangyo–Yeoju)

Busan

Donghae Line — (Bujeon–Taehwagang) is part of Donghae Line service

Sightseeing trains

KORAIL has a number of tourist or sightseeing trains, including the Sea Train, DMZ Train, V-Train, S-Train, A-Train, and G-Train.

Passes

Korail offers a rail pass called Korea Rail Pass, or KR Pass for short, to foreign travelers, such that they can take most of the trains operated by Korail freely, including KTX. However, subways and tourist trains operated by KORAIL are not covered.

Foreigners living in South Korea for more than six months are ineligible to use a KR Pass, but Korail offers the Happy Rail Pass, which is very similar to the KR Pass, for a slightly higher price.

Labor relations

Most of the railroad's employees are members of the Korean Railway Workers' Union, which is frequently at odds with KORAIL management. Strikes, such as the South Korean railroad strike of 2006, are not uncommon.

In December 2013, 23,000–100,000 union members and friends protested the privatization of KORAIL in Seoul.

Subsidiaries

• Korail Networks, for ticketing management and Korail frequent riders program.
• Korail Retail, for advertisement management and running "Storyway" convenience store.
• Korail Tour Service, for KTX/Saemaeul-ho train crew and travel service.

International service

• North Korea (Korean State Railway):

Until the division of Korea following the end of the Second World War, the Gyeongui Line and Gyeongwon Line extended into what is now North Korea. The Gyeongui Line connected Seoul to Kaesong, Pyongyang, and Sinuiju on the Chinese border, while the Gyeongwon Line served Wonsan on the east coast. Another line—the Kumgangsan Electric Railway—connected the town of Cheorwon, now on the border of North and South Korea, on the Gyeongwon Line, to Mt. Geumgang, now in the North.

The Gyeongui Line is one of two lines whose southern and northern halves are now being reconnected, the other line being the Donghae Bukbu Line. On 17 May 2007, two test trains ran on the reconnected lines: one on the west line from Munsan to Kaesong; the second on the east from Jejin to Kumgang.

In December 2007, regular freight service started on the Gyeongui line, from South Korea into the Kaesong Industrial Park in the north. The service has been underutilized, however: as it was reported in October 2008, on 150 out of 163 return trips that had been done so far, the train carried no cargo at all. The total amount of cargo carried over this period had been merely 340 tons. This absence of interest in the service has been explained by the customers' (companies operating in Kaesong) preference for road transport. In November 2008, North Korea shut down the link. However, railroad transportation from South Korea to North Korea resumed again on 30 November 2018, when a South Korean train carrying railroad inspectors entered North Korea.

A Trans-Korean Main Line, spanning North Korea and connecting to Russian Railways, is being planned. On 30 November 2018, 30 officials from North and South Korea began an 18-day survey in both Koreas to connect the Korean railroads. The survey, which had previously been obstructed by the Korean Demilitarized Zone's (DMZ) "frontline" guard posts and landmines located at the DMZ's Arrowhead Hill, consists of a 400-kilometer (250 mi)-long railroad section between Kaesong and Sinuiju that cuts through the North's central region and northeastern coast. The railway survey, which involved the inspection of the Gyeongui Line, concluded on 5 December 2018. On 8 December 2018, an inter-Korean survey began in both Koreas for the Donghae Line.

On 13 December 2018, it was announced that the groundbreaking ceremony to symbolize the reconnection of the roads and railways in both Koreas will be held on 26 December 2018 in the North Korean city of Kaesong. On 17 December 2018, the latest inter-Korean railway survey, which involved an 800-km rail from Kumgangsan near the inter-Korean border to the Tumen River bordering Russia in the east, was completed. A potential threat to the groundbreaking ceremony emerged after it was revealed that the North Korean railway was in poor condition. On 21 December 2018, however, the United States agreed to no longer obstruct plans by both Koreas to hold a groundbreaking ceremony. The same day, a four-day inter-Korean road survey began when ten working-level South Korean surveyors entered North Korea to work with ten North Korean surveyors on a three-day survey 100-km-long section on the eastern Donghae Line. On 24 December 2018, the four-day road survey, which will assist with the groundbreaking ceremony for the railroad, was completed after a separate team of ten South Korean surveyors entered North Korea and joined ten North Korean surveyors to survey a 4-km-long road in Kaesong. On 26 December 2018, the groundbreaking ceremony was held as scheduled in Kaesong. About 100 South Korean officials attended the ceremony after departing to North Korea on a Korail train based at Dorasan Station in Palu.

• Japan

JR Kyushu offers a jet foil ferry service between Busan and Fukuoka taking about 3 hours. KORAIL and JR West had a joint rail pass (called 한일공동승차권) which included discounted KTX and Shinkansen tickets and Busan-Shimonoseki/Fukuoka ferry tickets, but the pass was discontinued due to low ridership.

There are no railway connections between both countries. The Korean Strait undersea tunnel connecting Fukuoka and Busan via Tsushima had been proposed as far back as 1917, but the plan has never progressed beyond the research phase. While the increased wealth of South Korea and continued growth of trade between the nations has made the economic case for the tunnel more compelling, promotion has focused more on using the project to reduce political tension between the nations.

See also

• List of suburban and commuter rail systems
• Korean State Railway, North Korea's national rail operator
• Daejeon Korail FC, Korea National League football team.
• Korea Rail Network Authority
• KTX Family Card, frequent riders program
• Transportation in South Korea

References

1. "한국철도공사" (in Korean). JOBKOREA Corp. 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
2. ^ "2010 Statements of Income". Korail. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
3. Korail (2020). 2019 철도통계연보 (I) [2019 Statistical Yearbook of Railroad (I)] (PDF) (Report). Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. p. 7. Administrative publication registration number: 11-1510000-000002-10. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
4. ^ "KOSIS 국가통계포털".
5. 유의주 (8 October 2019). "코레일 새 약칭 '한국철도'로 바꾼다…한글사랑 실천" [KORAIL changes its abbreviation to 'Korean Railway'... implementing for the love of Hangul]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Retrieved 13 November 2019.
6. “Korail in deficit of 18.7 trillion, organize low-profit routes!” dongA.com（August 24, 2022）
7. Lee, Sun-Min (24 January 2015). "Planned G-Train offers tourists ultimate comfort". JoongAng Ilbo. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
8. ^ "Railroad Passes". Archived from the original on 10 August 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
9. "[現場] 寒波の中 10万の人波 「国民を敵に回すな」".
10. "Korean trains in historic link-up". BBC News. 17 May 2007. Retrieved 17 May 2007.
11. Richard Spencer (23 October 2008). "Korean detente railway becomes ghost train". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022.
12. ^ Avagnina, Gianluca (30 November 2018). "First train in a decade departs South Korea for North Korea". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
13. ^ "S. Korean Inspector Train Runs in N. Korea for Re-Connection Survey l KBS WORLD Radio". KBS World.
14. Kwon, Jake (30 November 2018). "A South Korean train heads North, but sanctions mean it has to carry its own fuel". CNN. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
15. "Trans-Korean Main Line - Investment in the Future - Russian Transport Daily Report". 29 October 2010. Archived from the original on 27 February 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
16. "Koreas Survey Railway Tracks Cut Since the Korean War". VOA. 30 November 2018.
17. "Koreas survey North's railways in hopes of joining networks | the News Tribune". Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
18. ^ "[Newsmaker] Koreas in consultations for joint road inspection". The Korea Herald. 5 December 2018.
19. "Joint Inspection of N. Korea's Eastern Rail Line Begins l KBS WORLD Radio". KBS World.
20. "(3rd LD) Koreas agree to hold groundbreaking ceremony for rail, road reconnection on Dec. 26". Yonhap News Agency. 13 December 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
21. Foundation, The Korea International Broadcasting. "한국을 대표하는 글로벌 방송! The World On Arirang!". Two Koreas to hold groundbreaking ceremony for railway, road project on 26 Dec. : ARIRANG.
22. ^ "N. Korea railway not in good condition: inspection team". The Korea Herald. 17 December 2018.
23. "US approves inter-Korean railway groundbreaking ceremony : North Korea : News : The Hankyoreh". The Hankyoreh. 22 December 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
24. "Two Koreas Begin Joint Road Survey l KBS WORLD Radio". KBS World.
25. Report, Agency (24 December 2018). "S. Korean Officials Visit N. Korea for Joint Road Survey".
26. ^ "Koreas Hold Groundbreaking Ceremony for Stalled Rail Project". Time. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018.
27. Cazzaniga, Pino (13 October 2009). "Japan and South Korea Increasingly Closer: The Two Nations Are Now Planning The Future Together: An Underwater Tunnel, A Common History Book..." Japan: AsiaNews.it. Retrieved 4 December 2009.

External links

• Official website (English)
• Online reservation

v t e Korail lines
Active	High-speed Gyeongbu HSR Honam HSR Semi-high-speed Jungang Line (Cheongnyangni–Andong) Gyeonggang Line (Wonju–Gangneung) Jungbunaeryuk Line Seohae (Wonsi–Hongseong) Main Gyeongbu Gyeongui Honam Gyeongwon Chungbuk Gyeongjeon Janghang Jeolla Donghae Jungang Line (Andong–Singyeongju) Yeongdong Taebaek Gyeongbuk Branches Daegu Gwangju [ko] Jeongseon [ko] Metro (Rapid transit) SCA      Line 1      Line 3      Line 4      Gyeongui–Jungang Line      Suin–Bundang Line      Gyeongchun Line      Gyeonggang Line      Seohae Line BUG      Donghae Line
Future	Semi-high-speed Nambunaeryuk Bujeon–Masan [ko] Metro (Rapid transit) Dongtan–Indeogwon Daegu Metropolitan [ko] Chungcheong Metropolitan [ko]
1: Lines for 200–300 km/h (high-speed rail internationally)

v t e passenger train services of Korail
High-speed rail : KTX (KTX lines and services)	KTX-I KTX-Sancheon KTX-Eum KTX-Cheongryong SRT (operated by subsidiary SR)
Limited express : ITX	ITX-Saemaeul ITX-Maum ITX-Cheongchun
Inter-city rail	Mugunghwa-ho Saemaeul-ho Nuriro
Tourist train (Korail Tourist train Services)	Rail Cruise Haerang A-Train G-Train S-Train V-Train East Sea & Santa Village Train Paldo Market Tourist Train
Rapid transit & Commuter rail	Seoul Subway Line 1 Seoul Subway Line 3 Seoul Subway Line 4 Gyeongui–Jungang Line Gyeongchun Line Suin–Bundang Line Seohae Line Donghae Line
Discontinued Trains	Tongil-ho Bidulgi-ho Commuter Train Sea Train DMZ Train

v t e Rolling stock of Korail
Current/Active	High-speed trains KTX-I (100000) KTX Sancheon (KTX-II, 110000 / 120000 / 130000 / 140000) KTX-Eum (EMU-260, 150000) KTX-Cheongryong (EMU-320, 160000) Locomotives Electric 8000 8100 8200 8500 Diesel 4400 [ko] 7300 7400 7500 7600 Multiple units Electric 3000 [ko] 200000 210000 (EMU-150) 311000 319000 321000 331000 341000 351000 361000 368000 371000 381000 391000 [ko] 392000 [ko] Diesel Special railcars [ko] Roger-1000k [ko]
Retired/Withdrawn	Locomotives Electric Dero3 Diesel 2000 2100 3000 3100 [ko] 3200 [ko] 4000 4100 4200 4300 5000 6000 6100 6200 [ko] 6300 7000 7100 7200 9100 [ko] Steam (Tender) Ame1 Mateo1 Mateo2 Mika1 (ex-Mantetsu) Mika1 (ex-Sentetsu) Mika2 Mika3 Mika4 Mika5 Mika6 1-5 (ex-Mantetsu) Mika6 (ex-Sentetsu) Mika7 Pasi1 Pasi3 Pasi4 Pasi5 Sori1 Sori2 1-100 Sori2 101 Sori6 Teou1 Teou2 Teou3 Teou5 Teou6 Teou6-100 901 Steam (Tank) Baru1 Moga1 Pureo1 Pureo2 Pureo3 Pureo4 Pureo7 Pureo7-100 Pureo7-200 Pureo7-300 Pureo8 Sata1 Multiple units Electric EEC [ko] 1000 Diesel 3rd class diesel railcars DC [ko] DEC [ko] DHC [ko] NDC [ko] CDC/RDC Gasoline Keha Passenger car Nakeha Narrow-gauge DC [ko]
Experimental	High-speed trains HSR-350x HEMU-430X Multiple units Electric TTX
See also Category:Rolling stock of South Korea

v t e Rapid transit in Asia
Armenia	Yerevan Metro
Azerbaijan	Baku Metro
Bangladesh	Dhaka Metro
China (PRC)	Beijing Subway Changchun Rail Transit Changsha Metro Changzhou Metro Chengdu Metro Chongqing Rail Transit Dalian Metro Dongguan Rail Transit Foshan Metro Fuzhou Metro Guangzhou Metro Guiyang Metro Hangzhou Metro Harbin Metro Hefei Metro Hohhot Metro Jinan Metro Jinhua Rail Transit Kunming Metro Lanzhou Metro Luoyang Subway Nanchang Metro Nanjing Metro Nanning Metro Nantong Rail Transit Ningbo Rail Transit Qingdao Metro Shanghai Metro Shenyang Metro Shenzhen Metro Shijiazhuang Metro Suzhou Rail Transit Taiyuan Metro Tianjin Metro Ürümqi Metro Wenzhou Rail Transit Wuhan Metro Wuxi Metro Xi'an Metro Xiamen Metro Xuzhou Metro Zhengzhou Metro Hong Kong MTR
Georgia	Tbilisi Metro
India	Agra Metro Ahmedabad Metro Bengaluru Metro Chennai Metro Chennai MRTS Delhi Metro Hyderabad Metro Jaipur Metro Kanpur Metro Kochi Metro Kolkata Metro Lucknow Metro Mumbai Metro Navi Mumbai Metro Nagpur Metro Noida Metro Pune Metro Rapid Metro Gurgaon
Indonesia	Greater Jakarta Integrated Mass Transit System Jakarta MRT Jakarta LRT Jabodebek LRT Palembang LRT Bali MRT*
Iran	Ahvaz Metro* Isfahan Metro Karaj Metro Mashhad Urban Railway Qom Urban Railway* Shiraz Metro Tabriz Metro Tehran Metro
Japan	Fukuoka City Subway Kōbe Rapid Transit Railway Kobe Municipal Subway Kyoto Municipal Subway Nagoya Municipal Subway Osaka Metro Sapporo Municipal Subway Sendai Subway Tokyo Metro Tokyo Rinkai Line Tokyo Toei Subway Yokohama Municipal Subway Yokohama Minatomirai Line
Kazakhstan	Almaty Metro
North Korea	Pyongyang Metro
Malaysia	Klang Valley Integrated Transit System RTS Link*
Pakistan	Lahore Metro
Philippines	Metro Manila Rail Network Manila LRT Manila MRT
Qatar	Doha Metro
Russia	Chelyabinsk Metro* Kazan Metro Krasnoyarsk Metro* Moscow Metro Novosibirsk Metro Nizhny Novgorod Metro Saint Petersburg Metro Samara Metro Yekaterinburg Metro
Saudi Arabia	Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro line (Mecca Metro) Riyadh Metro*
Singapore	Singapore MRT RTS Link*
South Korea	Busan Metro Daegu Metro Daejeon Metro Gwangju Metro Incheon Metro Seoul Metropolitan Subway
Taiwan (ROC)	Taipei Metro New Taipei Metro Taoyuan Metro Taichung Metro Kaohsiung Metro
Thailand	Bangkok Rail Network Bangkok MRT Bangkok Skytrain
Turkey	Adana Metro Ankara Metro Bursaray Gebze Metro* Istanbul Metro İzmir Metro Konya Metro* Mersin Metro*
United Arab Emirates	Dubai Metro
Uzbekistan	Tashkent Metro
Vietnam	Hanoi Metro Ho Chi Minh City Metro
* Under construction.

• Korail
• Government-owned companies of South Korea
• Railway companies of South Korea
• Railway companies established in 1963
• Companies based in Daejeon
• South Korean brands
• 1500 V DC railway electrification
• 25 kV AC railway electrification
• South Korean companies established in 1963
• Government-owned railway companies