Why Can't All Railways Be Like This? (Korail Korea Railroad (KNR))

Member Name: michaelhudson

Product:	Korail Korea Railroad (KNR)
Date:	18/12/01 (426 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, reliable, comfortable and easy to use

Disadvantages: The rail network doesn't cover the entire country, Can be slow

My first experience on a British train following a year in Korea was not exactly a pleasant one.Suffering on an overcrowded, dirty, cramped and expensive train, I could only despair at how far things have slipped in this country and how much we could learn from others. Although many British people would consider South Korea to be a developing, maybe even Third World, country, the Korean National Railroad (KNR) truly puts our antiquated system to shame.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Concessions were given to France and the U.S. to construct Korea’s first railways in the late 1890’s. Today, KNR manage 600 stations and 6,600km of track. There are ten major lines, with the busiest by far being the Kyongbu line from the capital Seoul to Busan. 831 million passengers used KNR trains in 1997, and this figure is expected to rise in 2008 when TGV trains will cover the 428 km distance between Seoul and Busan in approximately one hour forty minutes.

Seoul Station is the busiest in the country. Built in 1927 by the Japanese, the station is located in the centre of Seoul and is the terminus for all trains running north and south. Lines 1 and 4 of the Seoul underground stop at the station, with a number of facilities such as a department store, cheap Korean restaurants, a sauna and the usual range of fast food outlets inside the main concourse.

Seoul’s second station is Chongnyangni. Also on underground line 1, the station is the terminus for trains running east to Kangwon province. Some trains also stop at Songbuk.

KNR has an excellent website, www.korail.go.kr, which is fast, easy to navigate and can be translated into English, Chinese or Japanese. As well as a comprehensive links section to other travel websites, you can see current timetables and fares, get information on popular destinations and find out details of package train and hotel deals offered by the company.

THE TRAINS

Saemaul-ho (New Villag
e class) trains are super-express with reclining seats and buffet cars on every service.

Mugungwha-ho (Rose of Sharon class) trains are express with reclining seats and a mixture of buffet cars and trolley services.

Tongil-ho (Unification class) services are ordinary trains stopping at small towns and running along provincial routes. Reclining seats in first class only.

Pidulgi-ho (Pigeon class) trains trundle along a few routes but are of very little interest to travellers.

If you visit Korea, I’d highly recommend you ignore the Lonely Planet’s suggestion that Tongil-ho trains are the best choice for getting around the country. Mugungwha-ho trains-much faster and not much more expensive-are your best bet for most destinations, with Saemaul-ho trains coming into their own for the longest trips such as Seoul-Busan or Seoul-Yeosu. Take the bus if you’re really desperate to save a few quid.

THE GOOD

KNR trains are rarely late. In fact, in over eighteen months of travelling around Korea by train, I can think of only one occasion when my train was delayed by more than 6-7 minutes.

Tickets go on sale two months before the date of travel. Seats are divided into 1st and 2nd class, with all seats in the same class costing exactly the same fare. Thus, you can walk into a station on the day you wish to travel and, availability permitting, purchase a ticket for the same amount as it would have cost two months ago. There is a 20% discount for standing tickets, although there are no seats in the vestibule and you’ll have to put up with people smoking.

To give you an idea of the fares, a single on a Saemaul-ho train from Seoul-Busan costs around 23000 Won (under fourteen pounds). This is for a trip of 4.5 hours, covering a distance similar to that between Newcastle and London!

All Saemaul-ho and Mugungwha-ho trains have reclining seats with over double the legroom you can expec
t in a first class carriage in Britain. All carriages are air-conditioned.

KNR have an excellent membership card available for a deposit of 20000 Won (fully refundable if you decide to return your card). Holders of the card have their own ticket windows at all stations, get a 10% discount on each ticket, and can call an automated service with their pin number to check out schedules and make reservations. You can purchase your ticket over the phone and then pay for it with your credit card at either the window or one of the many machines found at each station. Even better, if you wish to cancel you can do so without penalty charge as late as a minute before departure time. You can cancel by phone through the automated service if you are running late.

With the exception of a few routes in Kangwon-do, you will never have to transfer trains in the middle of your journey. Routes are direct and all station names are listed in Korean, English and Chinese.

THE BAD

Korea is 70% mountainous so tracks are usually winding and maximum train speeds are lower than in the UK. While the TGV trains will run above ground level, services inside provinces such as Jeolla and Chungchong , though often picturesque, can be very slow.

At smaller stations English may not be spoken to a high standard. I’ll give a few useful expressions at the end of this op, which should enable you to purchase a ticket and ask for general information.

There are no rail services at all in the island province of Jeju-do.

Koreans think it extremely rude to make noise on public transport. If you want to talk much above a whisper, or talk on mobile phones full stop, either head into the vestibule or be prepared for some icy stares. This rule does not seem to apply to boisterous old men who consume numerous bottles of Soju, roll their trouser legs up to their knees and drunkenly stare at foreigners.

Trains get booked out far in advance of
important holidays such as Chusok (Korean Thanksgiving, either September or October) and Lunar New Year.

You can currently only buy a Korail Pass (providing unlimited travel on trains at a discount price for a fixed time period) in the US and Japan. This may well change before the World Cup.


LANGUAGE TIPS

Sae-ma-ul is pronounced se as in Set, ma as in mad and ul as in the final syllable of table.

The first syllable of Mu-gung-wha is pronounced mu as in a cow’s moo.

Koreans usually buy single tickets for trains and coaches. If there is no ticket window for foreigners ask for the following:

Destination + yuck (station) + number + jang (classifier) + choo-say-yo (please give me).

Useful numbers are han (1), tu (2), se (3) and ne (4). Tu should be pronounced as in mu in Mugungwha, with se and ne pronounced as in set/net.

For one ticket to Seoul Station:

Seoul yuck han jang choosayo.

If you want a return ticket simply add wang-bok (wang rhymes with sang, bok rhymes with knock) to the sentence between yuck and the number of tickets you require.

Ol-ma-ye-yo? = How much is it?
Ol as in Oliver, ma as in mad, ye rhymes with day and yo as in yo-yo.

Kam-sam-nee-da = Thanks

Yong-oh has-say-yo? = Do you speak English?
Yong rhymes with wrong.

P-lat-form My-ot-bon-ee-ye-yo? = What platform?
The P in platform should be aspirated like we say the 'p' in party. Drop the r in the final syllable to rhyme it with bomb.
My should be pronounced like me, ye rhymes with day.

Seat ticket = jwa-sock
Standing ticket = ip-sock

NB You can't ask for a dtanding ticket as they only go on sale once all seats have been allocated. It's helpful to know the word, however, as the ticket staff always ask you if a standing ticket is acceptable before confirming your purchase.


FINAL SENTENCE

KNR
is a state run company.

Summary: