SOUTH KOREA: The first section of the Central Inland Railway between Icheon, southeast of Seoul and Chungju has opened for revenue service following an inauguration ceremony on December 30.
The single-track 25 kV 50 Hz electrified line is 54 km long, with an end-to-end journey time of 30 min. Services are operated by KTX-Ieum high speed trainsets manufactured by Hyundai Rotem, which have a maximum speed of 260 km/h. The next section of the line is due to open in December 2023, linking Chungju with Mungyeong, a distance of 39 km.
Once fully completed, the Central Inland corridor would run from Seoul to the island city of Geoje on the south coast. The route running south from Mungyeong to Gimcheon is already in operation, but unelectrified, while the remaining section to Geoje is at the planning stage. Opening of the full 178 km corridor is planned by the end of 2027.
