International Journal of Applied Engineering Research ISSN 0973-4562 Volume 12, Number 9 (2017) pp. 2063-2070 © Research India Publications. http://www.ripublication.com Express-centric train operation of Korean capital wide-area railroad Baekkyu Namkung* Department of Railway Management and Policy, Seoul National University of Science and Technology 232 Gongneung-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 01811, South Korea Sungbong Chung Professor, Department of Railway Management and Policy, Seoul National University of Science and Technology 232 Gongneung-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 01811, South Korea (Corresponding author) *ORCID: 0000-0002-7843-6766 & SCOPUS ID-57190839043 Abstract provinces with promptness and in quantities. Also its meaning or character may be thought to be different from those of There has been the increase of interest in the materialization of “Urban Railroad” defined by 「Urban Railroad Act」 which is rapid transit system for the reduction of wide-area travel time served for smooth operation of urban traffic in urban transport between cities or provinces. Wide-area railroad is for handling area. In particular, since the wide-area railroad is operated the immense demands for daily transportation between cities or among more than two cities or provinces, 「Enforcement provinces by any relevant laws, the function and role of which Ordinances for Special Act on Metropolitan Wide-Area Traffic is different from that of urban railroad constructed for smooth Control」 prescribes that the scheduled speed should be over operation of urban traffic. But, as a matter of fact, the 50km/h (over 40km/h with Extension of Urban Railroad). distinction between wide-area railroad and urban railroad is ambiguous. The analysis of inter-city or inter-province travel In spite of the different roles and functions of urban railroad pattern in metropolitan area revealed the average speed of which deals with any problems to the traffic in a city, it is very 45km/h, which is approximate to that of 47km/h in the system difficult to clearly distinguish wide-area railroad from urban of wide-area railroad, which indicates that the role and the railroad in terms of train operation. Reviewed from the aspect function for speed of express trains with the average speed of of facility, the average distance between two stations of the 58km/h is not enough. It was found that scheduled speed and former is 2.54km, which is 2.4 times as long as that of Seoul stop spacing of express trains on Korean wide-area railroad urban railroad, 1.06km. The customers of the former were were similar to or higher than those of the wide-area railroad found to travel the average of 25~28km, while those of the system in Tokyo metropolis area of Japan where both local and latter only 12km, half of the former’s, which makes the roles of express trains are served while the running frequency and the the two distinguished clearly. However, from the viewpoint of running distance of Japanese express trains were 42~46% and train operation, even though the former which is supposed to 180% of those of local ones respectively, which figures are a secure the competitiveness against any other transportations so lot higher than those of Korea, 7~23% and 47~111% that it may meet the demand for medium and long distance respectively. So, this paper analyzed problems of Korean wide- traffic, its trains, as those of the latter do, stop at almost all area railroad operation and suggested strategies of express- stations along with the operation of express trains stopping at centric operating. As a result, it was saved average 10~30 only some stations on some lines and in specific time-frames minute when it replaced the express-centric with the local- for better service to the customers. Accordingly, in case of centric. In conclusion, Korean wide-area railroad need the long-distance service, its competitive edge gets lower than that express-centric railroad operation. of other transportations. The wide-area railroad networks launched recently are being operated and new ones are being Keywords: Express-centric railroad operation, Train constructed under relevant regulations. But the scheduled scheduling, Express train, Wide-area railroad, Train diagram speeds of Gyeongbu Line, Gyeongin Line, Gyeongwon Line, Gwacheon Line, Ansan Line and Bundang Line are not more than 40km/h. INTRODUCTION The examination of modal splits of subways(urban railroad + The first wide-area railroad in Korea was Line #1 of Seoul wide-area railroad) in major cities of the world shows 50%, Urban Railroad, when it was called “Metropolitan Subway” It 65% and 86% in Paris, London and Tokyo respectively but that was introduced as another public transportation to cope with of Seoul is only 36%(Seoul Metropolitan City, 2013), which is the rapid increase of population in Seoul. The term of “Wide- less than the half of those in the other major cities. Especially, area Railroad” was first applied along with the enactment of in Paris Region and Tokyo Region, express trains are served on 「 Special Act for Management of Wide-Area Traffic in a regular basis to secure speed. The Korean government is 」 Metropolitan Region in the year of 1997. It can be defined as pushing ahead with the revitalization of railroad use through Urban Railroad or just as Railroad which meets daily the construction of new wide-area railroad, but due to the limit transportation demand in metropolitan cities and between to the revitalization by the construction of wide-area railroads 2063 International Journal of Applied Engineering Research ISSN 0973-4562 Volume 12, Number 9 (2017) pp. 2063-2070 © Research India Publications. http://www.ripublication.com exclusively for the operation of trains stopping at all stations, subway which has been being operated along with the which system is all the same as the current ones, it is enactment of relevant laws in 1998 is performing the function indispensible that the scheduled speed be improved through of wide-area railroad. But it should be categorized as local turning the existing lines into those of express system so that railroad business not as wide-area railroad business in terms of the competitiveness of wide-area railroad network may be law. Since some out of those sections where electric trains are secured. operated with the application of Metropolitan Unity Fare System were regarded as belonging to local railroad business, In this study, the status of wide-area traffic between provinces they are not sections of wide-area railroad any more if they and cities in capital area has been examined and the problems should be defined by the relevant law. to the wide-area railroad network in current operation have been reviewed for the suggestion of plan for rapid transit Still, because some operation sections of electric trains which system on the existing wide-area railroad lines so that a are not designated as wide-area railroad are playing the role of momentum for the changeover of the operation paradigm at the handling the wide-area traffic by the service between more than current wide-area railroad may be created. two cities or provinces, this study has defined the section (the section with Metropolitan Unity Fare System applied) of electric trains operated by Korean Railroad Corporation in STATUS ANALYSIS OF WIDE-AREA RAILROAD IN capital region as wide-area railroad. KOREAN CAPITAL REGION The wide-area railroad section operated by Korea Railroad Operation status of wide-area railroad in Korean capital Corporation(KORAIL) has the total of 11 lines, where most region trains stopping at every station are being operated in the type of local-train operation system. The average scheduled speed is In terms of law, the wide-area railroad means the lines defined 47.3km and the average distance between stops 2.54km(Table by the notification of the competent Ministry of Land, 1). Infrastructure and Transport according to 「Special Act on Metropolitan Wide-Area Traffic Control」 and capital-region Table 1 : Local Train of Korean Capital Wide-area Railroad Class. Service Section No. of Service Travel Schedule Speed Ave. Stop Sta. Distance (km) Time (min) (km/h) Spacing (km) Gyeongbu Line Seoul~Cheonan 39 96.6 119.0 48.7 2.48 Gyeongin Line Guro~Incheon 20 27.0 46.0 35.2 1.35 Gyeongwon Line Soyosan~Cheongnyangni 24 42.9 64.0 40.2 1.79 Gyeongeui-Jungang Line Munsan~Yongmun 50 118.7 157.0 45.4 2.37 Ansan-Gwacheon Namtaeryeong~Oido 21 40.4 58.5 41.4 1.92 Line Suin Line Oido~Incheon 12 20.4 30.0 40.8 1.70 Bundang Line Wangsimni~Suwon 34 52.9 84.0 37.8 1.56 Ilsan Line Jichuk~Daehwa 11 19.2 28.0 41.1 1.75 Janghang Line Cheonan~Sinchang 6 19.4 19.0 61.3 3.23 Gyeongchun Line Sangbong~Chuncheon 19 81.3 81.0 60.2 4.28 Gyeonggang Line Pangyo~Yeoju 10 54.8 48.0 68.5 5.48 Average 47.3 2.54 Data : KORAIL Homepage, Http://www.korail.com With 11 systems on 6 out of the lines, the express trains than that of local trains. The average distance between stops is increase their speed by not stopping at some stations. Their 4.92km, 2.38km longer than that of local trains(Table 2). average scheduled speed is 58.5km/h, which is 11.2km/h higher 2064 International Journal of Applied Engineering Research ISSN 0973-4562 Volume 12, Number 9 (2017) pp. 2063-2070 © Research India Publications. http://www.ripublication.com Table 2 : Express Train of Korean Capital Wide-area Railroad Class. Service No. Service Travel Schedule Ave. Section of Distance Time Speed Stop Sta.