South Korea has unveiled its new high-speed train the HEMU 430X in Changwon.
According to Railway Technology, the high-speed electric multiple unit (HEMU) 430X bullet train covered 28.2km on a test run at a speed of 150km/h, but is capable of reaching speeds of up to 430km/h.
Korail, Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) and Hyundai-Rotem, along with other manufacturing firms, developed the train at a cost of KRW93.1bn ($79.69m).
The HEMU 430X is claimed to be the world's fourth fastest high-speed train, after models developed in France, China and Japan.
The train is powered by 410kW traction motors, each of which produces a tractive effort of 9.1kN.
It will be equipped with two types of traction systems. The first of these consists of 16 units with two IGBT PWM converters and VVVF inverter-controlled asynchronous traction motors.
The second type of four units has one IGBT PWM converter and an inverter-controlled permanent synchronous traction motor.
Until 2015, the HEMU will be tested and driven for at least 100,000km, while actual passenger operations are scheduled to start in 2016 or 2017.
According to the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTM) in South Korea, the new train is quieter and about 5% lighter than the KTX-Sancheon, which is currently operating at speeds of up to 300km/h.
Within the next three years, KRRI and Hyundai-Rotem are planning to build the next stage in Korean high-speed technology, with a 500km/h train called HEMU-500X reportedly on the horizon.