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KORAIL’s affiliate for new KTX line to open this week
By Korea HeraldPublished : Jan. 5, 2014 - 19:46
KORAIL’s new subsidiary that will run the country’s second bullet-train, the Korea Train Express line departing from Suseo in southeast Seoul, will officially launch this week, with a line-up for top management, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Sunday.
The state-run railway operator appointed Kim Bok-hwan, who had led the corporate affairs unit, as the new head for its new affiliate, which is poised soon to bring competition into the railway industry.
The plan has been embroiled in controversy as the unionized railway workers began protesting the government’s decision in early December to grant a business license for a new entity, accusing it of paving way for the privatization of KORAIL. The 22-day strike ended last week as the union withdrew it.
The office was set up in the parent firm’s headquarters in Daejeon, and about 50 employees will be dispatched from KORAIL as early as this week. “The plan on operations of KORAIL’s new affiliate, including the organizational structure and personnel, will require more time than expected but we will finish the work as early as possible,” a Ministry official said.
The transport ministry issued a business license last week for the company to run the upcoming second bullet train line departing from Suseo to a junction with the existing Gyeongbu high speed railway and Honam expressway.
The railway is due to open at the end of 2015 with 22 new trains and 5 trains rented from KORAIL.
The Ministry estimated that the average number of KTX passengers for the new Suseo line will reach 54,700 by 2016, with 40,700 users from Suseo to Busan and 14,000 from Suseo to Mokpo.
By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)
The state-run railway operator appointed Kim Bok-hwan, who had led the corporate affairs unit, as the new head for its new affiliate, which is poised soon to bring competition into the railway industry.
The plan has been embroiled in controversy as the unionized railway workers began protesting the government’s decision in early December to grant a business license for a new entity, accusing it of paving way for the privatization of KORAIL. The 22-day strike ended last week as the union withdrew it.
The office was set up in the parent firm’s headquarters in Daejeon, and about 50 employees will be dispatched from KORAIL as early as this week. “The plan on operations of KORAIL’s new affiliate, including the organizational structure and personnel, will require more time than expected but we will finish the work as early as possible,” a Ministry official said.
The transport ministry issued a business license last week for the company to run the upcoming second bullet train line departing from Suseo to a junction with the existing Gyeongbu high speed railway and Honam expressway.
The railway is due to open at the end of 2015 with 22 new trains and 5 trains rented from KORAIL.
The Ministry estimated that the average number of KTX passengers for the new Suseo line will reach 54,700 by 2016, with 40,700 users from Suseo to Busan and 14,000 from Suseo to Mokpo.
By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)
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Articles by Korea Herald
