Hyundai Rotem debuts world's 1st LTE-based train control system

Hyundai Rotem, a railway, defense and plant systems provider under Hyundai Motor Group, said Monday that it has successfully commercialized an LTE-based train control system for the first time in the world.

Called Korean Train Control System 2, or KTCS-2, the latest system will be installed on the Jeolla Line spanning 180 kilometers from Iksan in North Jeolla Province to Yeosu in South Jeolla Province.

Based on the ultrafast wireless communication network, the technology transmits data in real time, adjusting the spacing between trains by detecting and confirming the location of the preceding train.

It also supports track switches based on railway track status, alongside speed control and emergency braking to enable the safe operation of trains, making the system paramount to running high-speed trains.

The implementation of the latest system is expected to optimize the train timetable through reduced time gaps while boosting transport capacity by about 20 percent.

Additionally, compared to the existing railway signaling system, KTCS-2 is almost sixfold safer, as assessed by European railway safety regulations.

Based on data compiled by its first commercial operation on the Jeolla Line, the company aims to expand the operation in phases throughout the country to contribute to the standardization of the train signaling system.

Further, as the latest train system fulfills the specifications of the European Train Control System, anticipation is also high on potential for its overseas export.

The latest technology was conceived during a research and development project conducted under the oversight of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in 2012. KTCS-2 was then run on the Jeolla Line under a pilot project, with further tests carried out through the end of 2020 to verify the technology's safety.

Additionally, by the end of 2024, Hyundai Rotem eyes to complete the development of KTCS-3, which monitors train locations wirelessly without track circuits.