SERVICES commenced today on the second phase of the Seoul - Busan high-speed line between Daegu and Busan in Korea. Costing Won 7.95 trillion ($US 7.08 billion) and taking eight years to construct, the new 124.2km line reduces journey times on the entire 417.5km route between Seoul and Busan by 22 minutes to 2h 18m.
SERVICES commenced today on the second phase of the Seoul - Busan high-speed line between Daegu and Busan in Korea. Costing Won 7.95 trillion ($US 7.08 billion) and taking eight years to construct, the new 124.2km line reduces journey times on the entire 417.5km route between Seoul and Busan by 22 minutes to 2h 18m.
A ceremony to commemorate the opening of the line was held last week, in which Korean prime minister Mr Kim Hwang-sik, outlined the government's vision for the country's high-speed rail network.
"The government plans to boost the role of the railways and reduce dependence on roads by expanding the bullet train network so that it is possible to reach any part of the country within an hour and a half," he says.
The Korean transport ministry expects the newly extended high-speed service to boost daily KTX users by 27% from 106,000 to 135,000.
