Korea commercializes magnetic levitation train

A magnetic levitation train stops at a station near Incheon International Airport during a trial Wednesday. Korea is the third nation after Japan and China to operate a commercialized maglev train. / Yonhap

By Lee Hyo-sik

Korea has begun operating unmanned magnetic levitation (maglev) trains on a track to Incheon International Airport, becoming the third nation after Japan and China to commercialize the next-generation transportation system. The train is only the second self-developed one after Japan; China’s was a joint-development project.

Hyundai Rotem, the manufacturer, said Wednesday the trains, which travel at 110 kilometers per hour, began running on a 6.1-kilometer section of the Incheon International Airport Railroad.

The rolling stock manufacturing arm of Hyundai Motor Group said operations will soon cover the entire track from Seoul Station to the airport.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport held a ceremony at Korea’s main gateway, Wednesday, to mark the start of the maglev train’s commercial operations.

Rotem said it became the world’s second manufacturer of magnetic trains that successfully run on a railway after Japan’s Nippon Sharyo, which commercialized the trains in 2005.

Along with the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, the company has been developing Korea’s next-generation mass transport system since December 2006.

As one of Korea's state-funded research and development (R&D) projects, the government invested some 450 billion won into developing the magnetic trains.

Maglev trains, which are suspended above specially designed tracks, are propelled by a linear motor that uses the repulsive and attractive forces of magnetism.

Because there is no contact between the vehicle and the track, the maglev system has many advantages ― it can travel at very high speeds with reasonable energy consumption and low noise.

The futuristic transportation system had its debut in the early 1980s, but economic limitations have posed stumbling blocks to its full-fledged commercialization.

Rotem expects the successful commercialization will attract attention from the United States, Russia, Indonesia and other countries, which have shown keen interest in this state-of-the-art means of transportation.

“Over the years, many countries have expressed interest in our maglev trains,” a Hyundai Rotem spokesman said. “They would like to purchase the trains because it is an environment-friendly and economical means of public transportation.”

But the countries remained reluctant because the Rotem train has no track record of a successful commercial run, he said, adding that operation on the Incheon International Airport Railroad will provide a much-needed boost to the firm’s export drive.

“If the train operates successfully on the railroad, this will prove our technological know-how and prowess,” the spokesman said. “We will then be in a better position to negotiate with potential buyers. The United States, Russia, Indonesia and many other countries are looking to do business with us as they seek to upgrade their aging public transit systems.”