HSR-350x

HSR-350x, alternatively called G7, KHST or NG-KTX, and later officially renamed Hanvit 350, is a South Korean experimental high-speed train. It was developed and built in a joint project of government research institutes, universities and private companies that started in 1996, which aimed to reduce import dependence in high-speed rail technology. New components developed for the HSR-350x included motors, electronics, and the carbody of passenger cars. Test runs were conducted between 2002 and 2008. The experimental train achieved the South Korean rail speed record of 352.4 km/h (219.0 mph) in 2004. The HSR-350x was the basis for Korail's KTX-II (KTX-Sancheon) commercial high-speed trains.

History

When South Korea started its high-speed rail project, rolling stock and infrastructure was built in the framework of a technology transfer agreement between GEC-Alsthom (today Alstom), the main maker of French TGV high-speed trains, and South Korean companies. The first trains for Korea Train Express service, the KTX-I, were derived from the TGV Réseau, and built both by Alstom and Rotem (today Hyundai Rotem).