South Korea Train Travel

South Korea Train Travel

South Korea Train Travel is a popular means of transportation in the country and is especially preferred by the citizens as it is inexpensive in comparison to flights and more comfortable than busses. According to a recent survey about 3,472 km of the country is cover by rail tracks of which 1,361 km is electrified.

Korail is the national train service operator of South Korea. The services languished for a long time before public money was invested and the services revamped. The railway infrastructure has been enhanced well and trains services offer competitive prices and are almost as fast as busses. Besides they offer safety and comfort to the passengers. The Seoul-Busan sector is extremely well connected and the route from Cheonan, Asan to Mokpo has also been exhaustively covered. However, rail network needs to improve in certain rural areas. The introduction of the Korea Train eXpress (KTX) has changed the face of railways in South Korea. These high speed express trains are one of the favorite means of transportation in the country and are almost as popular as busses. The KTX trains run on the Seoul-Busan track between Seoul and East Daegu. The KTX uses French TGV technology and the trains ply at speeds up to 300 kmph. The KTX services were introduced in April 2004 and ever since the popularity of the trains have spread like wild fire. The trains run 18 compartments of which 3 have been allocated to the first class passengers, one meant for open seating and the rest reserved for the economy class. The non KTX trains are classified as Saemaeul (express), Mugunghwa (semi-express) and Tonggeun (local) services. While a ride on the Saemaeul will turn out to be slightly costlier than a bus fare for the distance, Mugunghwa and Tonggeun turn out to be considerably cheaper. Cities such as Seoul, Busan, Daejeon, Daegu and Incheon are equipped with local commuter trains. The international tourists may wish to avail of the KR Pass, a special pass that allows unlimited traveling and seat reservation for a fixed fee.

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