"Government to Partially Fund Replacement of Aging KTX Trains"... 56 Lawmakers from Both Parties Co-sponsor Bill

Although more than 20 years have passed since the launch of the high-speed KTX rail service, the aging trains are now due for replacement. However, Korail, the KTX operator, is struggling to replace the trains due to the enormous costs involved. In response, Representative Son Myungsoo of the Democratic Party of Korea and Representative Yoon Youngseok of the People Power Party, both members of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, jointly proposed a partial amendment to the Framework Act on the Development of the Railroad Industry on May 9. The amendment seeks to allow the government to subsidize part of the replacement costs for aging KTX trains.

KTX, which made its debut in 2004, currently operates a total of 1,316 cars (86 trainsets), with more than half?920 cars (46 trainsets)?being KTX-1 vehicles introduced in 2003. These vehicles are now approaching their 30-year design lifespan, raising ongoing safety concerns. Korail estimates that replacing all 46 KTX-1 trainsets will cost approximately 5 trillion won. The company emphasizes the urgency of the situation, noting that it typically takes seven years from placing an order to putting new trains into operation.

The first-generation KTX train is moving along the platform at Seoul Station in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

However, Korail faces significant challenges in covering these astronomical replacement costs on its own, as it is burdened by accumulated debt and lower fares compared to other countries. As a result, lawmakers from both parties held a joint parliamentary forum in February, reaching a consensus on the need for government support.

The proposed amendment stipulates that the government may provide partial funding for the replacement of aging rail vehicles, as determined by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Representative Son Myungsoo stated, "KTX, used by 220,000 people every day, has become an indispensable means of transportation in the lives of our citizens. To ensure the safety of high-speed rail passengers, we must proactively and actively prepare to introduce replacement vehicles."

Representative Yoon Youngseok said, "We must ensure the timely replacement of KTX trains to advance the K-rail industry. Through the KTX replacement project, we will do our utmost to help the domestic rail industry, which possesses world-class technology, lead the global market, which is expected to reach 500 trillion won by 2030."

A total of 56 lawmakers from the Democratic Party of Korea, the People Power Party, and the New Reform Party jointly participated in submitting this bill.