South Korea plans to replace all of its passenger trains with low-carbon models by 2029 as part of efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
That’s according to President Moon Jae-in — who took a test ride on Monday on the country’s first EMU train — or Electric Multiple Unit — his first economy-related on-site visit of 2021.
Named KTX-EUM — an acronym that in Korean means “link” — it emits only 70 percent of the C-O-2 pumped out by diesel locomotives. or just 15 percent of that produced by cars.
We will replace all diesel passenger trains with KTX-EUM by 2029. Through this, we will be able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70,000 tons, the equivalent of planting 10 million trees.
With a maximum speed of 260 kilometers an hour — it will run between Wonju in Gangwon-do Province and Jecheon in Chungcheongbuk-do Province starting Tuesday.
An EMU train consists of carriages that are each self-propelled using electricity.
This is the first such train in South Korea developed using domestic technology.
Moon stressed that railways are the main arteries of economic and social development in the 21st century, noting that the global rail market is expected to grow this year to roughly 220 billion U.S. dollars with an annual growth rate of 2.9 percent.
He vowed efforts to make South Korea a transport infrastructure powerhouse, while at the same time achieving balanced regional growth.
The government will invest more than 70 trillion won (US$64.7 bil.) by 2025 to speed up high-speed railway projects to shorten travel time between major cities to within two hours and commuting time in the metropolitan area to within 30 minutes.
The president said this year will mark the start of the KTX-EUM rollout, adding that it represents a combination of the country’s digital and green New Deal initiative to achieve carbon neutrality.
Kim Min-ji, Arirang News.
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