Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) announced on the 27th that it has successfully localized 10 key components of railway vehicles, including the KTX-Eum and electric trains.
With the localization of parts, KORAIL expects to reduce procurement time by up to 10 months compared to importing foreign parts and save an annual budget of 4.93 billion KRW.
The localized parts include eight components required for the KTX-Eum, a distributed power high-speed train, such as ▲high-strength, high-performance braking system ▲modular main circuit breaker system ▲high-efficiency eco-friendly air conditioning system ▲air springs for securing running stability, as well as one electric door system for electric trains used in urban rail vehicles and one lightweight articulated device for low-floor trams, totaling 10 parts.
Core components of railway vehicles domestically produced by Korail are on display. Photo by Korea Railroad Corporation
Through localization, the localization rate of parts for the KTX-Eum has increased to over 90%. KORAIL emphasized that securing technological independence for core components directly related to vehicle safety and performance has established a stable supply chain and provided grounds to support domestic companies' market entry.
Above all, this achievement is significant in that it integrated and optimized the specifications of electric train door systems, which differed among railway operators, establishing a standardized design technology that minimized costs. For low-floor tram parts, an independent model of the articulated device was developed, expanding the industrial base of the domestic tram market.
Previously, in 2020, KORAIL won the national research and development project ‘Railway Vehicle Parts Development’ to localize railway vehicle parts and advance technology, forming a dedicated organization to oversee the project.
The project focuses on localizing 10 types of railway vehicle parts to achieve self-reliance and developing five high-performance, high-efficiency parts to lead future markets, thereby enhancing technological capabilities. The total project cost to be invested by next year is 157 billion KRW. Over 500 domestic industry, academia, and research organizations are participating in the project.
KORAIL plans to collaborate with parts manufacturers to pioneer overseas markets and support commercialization. Through this, it aims to promote mutual growth with small and medium-sized enterprises while focusing on creating a railway industry ecosystem that can sustain itself with domestic technology.
Han Moon-hee, President of KORAIL, said, “As a result of the combined efforts of the railway operating institution (KORAIL), vehicle manufacturers, parts companies, industry, academia, and government, we have taken a step closer to technological independence for high-speed railway vehicles. KORAIL will complete the ongoing development of market-leading parts without delay so that Korea’s railway technology can establish itself as a global standard beyond the domestic market.”
Meanwhile, on the morning of the 27th, KORAIL held the ‘Railway Vehicle Parts Development Project Performance Report Meeting’ at the Daejeon Headquarters Digital Hub. The report meeting was organized to present the project progress report, introduce developed parts, and discuss support plans for future commercialization and business development.
About 60 stakeholders attended the event, including representatives from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement, railway operating institutions, vehicle manufacturers, parts manufacturers, certification bodies, and related companies, who are involved in the railway vehicle parts R&D project.
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