15,700 times around the globe, 1 billion cumulative users... Twenty years old KTX ‘transportation revolution’

Entered 2024.03.31 18:12 Modified 2024.04.01 00:04 Ground A32

April 1 marks the 20th anniversary of the opening of KTX, and the entire country is a 'half-day living zone'.

It is the nation's representative means of transportation, covering 94.6% of the population. In 2004, 20 stations on 2 routes. Currently, 69 stations on 8 routes.

Travel regionally without burden Seoul~Busan 2 hours 23 minutes Yongsan~Gwangju 1 hour 36 minutes Fees are also maintained at 'reasonable prices'

April 1, 2004, 5:05 am. The first KTX departed Busan Station carrying 935 passengers and 5 crew members. The arrival time at Seoul Station, the destination, was 7:54 am. The distance that used to take 4 hours and 23 minutes on the Saemaeul train was covered in 2 hours and 49 minutes, signaling the ‘era of high-speed rail’. Twenty years later, the cumulative number of KTX users exceeded 1 billion. The total distance traveled by KTX across the country exceeds 15,700 times around the globe. The high-speed rail network has become so dense that 95 out of 100 people in Korea can access the KTX within 60 minutes.

 

Average number of users per day: 230,000

KTX celebrates its 20th anniversary on April 1. A speed revolution began in 2004 when the KTX began operating at 300 km/h (based on business speed), twice as fast as the Saemaeul (150 km/h). Interest in KTX has been strong since the first year of its opening. The number of users exceeded 1 million just 14 days after operation began. It took Europe's high-speed rail, Eurostar, about six months to reach 1 million users.

After 20 years, KTX has established itself as the people's representative means of transportation. The average daily number of users jumped from 72,000 in 2004 to 230,000 last year. The cumulative number of passengers exceeded 1 billion in August last year. This means that each person rode the KTX more than 20 times. The number is expected to exceed 1.1 billion in the second half of this year. The cumulative KTX operating distance is 630 million km, which is 15,700 times the circumference of the Earth. The station with the most daily average users is Seoul Station (96,717 people), followed by Busan Station (36,101 people) and Dongdaegu Station (34,875 people).

As of 2004, KTX only stopped at 20 stations on two lines (Gyeongbu Line and Honam Line). KTX territory has gradually expanded, including the Jeolla Line (Yongsan-Yeosu Expo) in 2011, the Honam Line (Osong-Gwangju Songjeong) in 2015, the Gangneung Line (Seoul-Gangneung) in 2017, and the Jungang Line (Cheongnyangni-Andong) in 2021. Recently, KTX runs on 8 routes and 69 stations. As of 2021, 75.1% of the total land area and 94.6% of the population are in the ‘high-speed rail influence area’ where KTX can be used within one hour.

Speed is also evolving. In 2004, the shortest time was 2 hours and 47 minutes from Seoul Station to Busan, and 2 hours and 46 minutes from Yongsan Station to Gwangju. Currently, Seoul-Busan can be covered in 2 hours and 23 minutes, and Yongsan-Gwangju can be covered in 1 hour and 36 minutes. The Seoul-Busan section was once reached in 1 hour and 57 minutes, but the operating time slightly increased as the number of stopping stations was increased for the convenience of the public. The KTX fare for the Seoul-Busan section, which was 45,000 won in 2004, recently rose to 59,800 won. Considering that the price of Jjajangmyeon jumped from 3,222 won to 6,361 won during the same period, it is evaluated as maintaining a ‘good price’.

Tourists also increase along KTX

The entire country was grouped into a ‘half-day living zone’, bringing about many changes to the local economy. Economic effects such as alleviating traffic congestion and reducing logistics costs are considered representative achievements. Socially, business trips to local areas, visits to hometowns, and treatment at large hospitals have become much easier. Based on the development of the KTX station area, there are places where commercial and residential infrastructure has been expanded on a large scale, making it a ‘world change.’ Representative areas include Gwangmyeong Station in Gyeonggi Province and Asan Station in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province.

However, there is also criticism that it has accelerated the ‘straw effect’ of increasing concentration in Seoul in terms of employment and population. Some point out that as it has become much easier for local residents to go to Seoul for shopping or medical treatment, the local commercial and medical infrastructure has become more deteriorated. Considering the effect of the influx of tourists, some say that it had a positive impact on the region. For example, the Korea Railroad Research Institute analyzed that the number of restaurants and lodging establishments in Gangneung increased after the opening of KTX Gangneung Station. A KORAIL official said, “We can now freely choose to travel to areas that we had hesitated to travel to because the distance was too far to travel by bus.”

Kang Kyeong-woo, a professor in the Department of Transportation and Logistics at Hanyang University, said, “Every time a new transportation system is introduced, some side effects are bound to appear.” He added, “As the connection between major stations through KTX has been completed to some extent, in the future, KTX will utilize the bus or subway networks in each region.” “We need to pay attention to connecting the station and the city center,” he said.

Reporter Lee In-hyuk twopeople@hankyung.com