Farewell to the Train That Carried 1.95 Million Tourists... Operation Ends Due to Budget Disagreement Despite Reaching Lifespan

The Nation's First Tourist Train to Retire Next Month
New Train Production Halted Due to Budget Issues

‘Bada Train,’ Korea’s first tourist train running along the East Coast of Gangwon Province, is scheduled to cease operation after this year. The existing train has reached the end of its service life, and joint investors Korail and the cities of Gangneung, Donghae, and Samcheok have failed to agree on budget sharing, making it difficult to introduce new trains.

According to Korail Tourism Development on the 19th, the Bada Train, a tourist train operating on a 53 km route from Gangneung Station to Samcheok Beach Station, will end its service on December 25.

East Sea Train

This train is characterized by having all seats arranged facing the sea to provide coastal views. It operated two round trips on weekdays and three on weekends for the one hour and ten minute one-way journey, often selling out due to its great popularity. The secret to the Bada Train’s popularity is that most of its route runs along the East Sea coastline, making it the only line of its kind. The train slows down when passing along the coast so passengers can enjoy the scenery.

Among the four cars, cars 1 and 4 consist of single seats with sea views, car 2 is a special car with couple seats, and car 3 has four-person seats for families and groups. Having started operation on July 24, 2007, the Bada Train has carried 1.95 million passengers and will stop running after 16 years.

The Bada Train was created by utilizing aging trains that had become less useful after the introduction of new trains on the Mugunghwa and Saemaeul lines. Korail and the local governments of Gangneung, Donghae, and Samcheok, through which the route passes, jointly invested in the train. However, failure to introduce new trains has ultimately led to the cessation of operations.

Although the Bada Train was regarded as a successful tourism product that leveraged local characteristics and aging trains, no additional investment was made. Discussions on introducing new trains began in 2021, but Korail and the local governments failed to reach an agreement on budget sharing. Korail wanted to cover half of the 14 billion KRW budget, with the rest borne by the local governments, but the local governments expressed difficulties in securing the funds.

As the discontinuation of the Bada Train approaches next month, there are regrets from the railway industry, including Korail Tourism Development, and passengers. The Bada Train is one of Korail Tourism Development’s most well-known and heavily used flagship products. It also significantly contributed to Korail Tourism Development’s profitability in 2021, when interest in domestic travel increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic limiting overseas travel.

Once the Bada Train disappears, the railway section between Donghae, Chuam, and Samcheok Beach Station will have no train service for a while, as the Bada Train is the only train line on this route. Train operations on this section will resume after the Donghae Line opens in December 2024. Currently, the Donghae Line operates between Busan Busanjin Station and Yeongdeok Station in North Gyeongsang Province, and in the future, it will connect Yeongdeok to Samcheok and Gangneung, extending to Jejin Station in Goseong, Gangwon Province.