The KTX-Eum train, with a maximum speed of 260 km/h, will newly operate on the Donghae Line between Gangneung and Busan, and new stops such as Shin Haeundae will be added to the existing Seoul (Cheongnyangni) to Busan route. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 15th that from the 30th, the KTX-Eum will be fully deployed on the Jungang Line (Cheongnyangni to Bujeon) and the Donghae Line (Gangneung to Bujeon) to enable travel within the central and east coast regions in about 3 hours.
The Jungang Line is a route that traverses the inland of the Korean Peninsula from Seoul to Busan. Utilizing the speed increase effect from the signal system improvement between Andong and Yeongcheon, additional trains will be deployed, and new stops will be expanded. The number of operations on the Cheongnyangni to Bujeon section will be tripled from 6 to 18 times a day, and the Cheongnyangni to Andong section will also be increased from 18 to 20 times, significantly improving passenger convenience.
The travel time on the Cheongnyangni to Bujeon section will be reduced from the previous 3 hours and 56 minutes to 3 hours and 38 minutes based on the shortest time of the KTX-Eum. For the convenience of local residents and visitors, some trains will stop at stations such as Deokso, North Ulsan, Namchang, Gijang, Shin Haeundae, and Centum, and the number of stops will be adjusted based on demand and passenger numbers at each station.
Additionally, six new KTX-Eum trains will be added to the Donghae Line section from Bujeon (Busan) to Gangneung, which opened in January this year and is currently operated by ITX-Ma-eum. This will reduce the average travel time from Bujeon to Gangneung to 3 hours and 54 minutes, 1 hour and 10 minutes shorter than the current ITX-Ma-eum travel time. The new KTX-Eum deployment is expected to connect Busan, Ulsan, Gyeongbuk, and Gangwon regions into a daily living zone, boosting tourism demand and regional development.