South Korea’s government-funded research institutes are planning to co-develop ultra-fast train that can operate at maximum speed of 1000km/h.
Korea Railroad Research Institute, Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials, UNIST (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology), and Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology are going to sign off on a MOU in the middle of this month in order to co-develop ‘subsonic capsule train’. Government-funded research institutes such as The Korea Transport Institute, ETRI (Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute), and Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute that possess technologies regarding railroad are also going to participate in this business agreement.
Subsonic capsule train is a futuristic ultra-fast train that is being developed by railroad research institutes and machinery research institutes. It is a magnetically levitated train that will run within a vacuum-state tube without any air resistance and can operate at a maximum speed of 1000km/h.
Many countries are having fierce competitions with each other as the U.S., Canada, China and other countries are developing similar trains.

Photo Image
<Subsonic capsule trains are going to operate within vacuum-state tubes without any air resistance.>

Railroad research institutes are planning to push forward schedule for development of subsonic capsule train with this MOU as an opportunity. They are going to be in charge of design and development of body of subsonic capsule train and are carrying out corresponding researches after receiving $20.2 million (24.5 billion KRW) from Ministry of Science, ICP and Future Planning (MSIP).
UNIST will be in charge of parts that are related to body of subsonic capsule train such as design of subsonic capsule train and tube and supply of power while construction research institutes will be in charge of development of infrastructures such as train platform and bridges and tunnels. Durability that can stand speed of 1000km/h will be important for infrastructures.
Machinery research institutes are planning to develop magnetic levitation technologies and establish variety of railroad machinery element systems.
Railroad research institutes evaluate development and commercialization of ultra-fast train as important research task that will become a future source of profit for South Korea and bring enormous amount of economic profit.
These research institutes are also going to push for large-scale national R&D for research on subsonic capsule train. “It is very desirable that government-funded research institutes are making cooperating with each other.” said Team Leader Choi Do-young of MSIP’s Research Institute Support Team. “We are going to actively support them so that this research can lead to development of related technologies and commercialization of subsonic capsule train.”
Staff Reporter Kim, Youngjun | kyj85@etnews.com