A'REX
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This article or section contains information about a planned or expected public transportation infrastructure. It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the construction and/or completion of the infrastructure approaches, and more information becomes available. |
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| A'REX | |
|---|---|
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| Korean name | |
| Hangul: |
공항철도
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| Hanja: |
空港鐵道
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| Revised Romanization: | Gonghang Cheoldo |
| McCune-Reischauer: | Konghang Ch'ŏlto |
The A'REX (or Airport Railroad) is a South Korean railway line that links Incheon International Airport and Gimpo Airport, with a section extending to Seoul Station. It is operated by the company of the same name. The line itself is also referred to as the Airport Express.
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[edit] History
After significant delays, construction of the line started in 2002. The first 37.6 km segment from Incheon Airport to Gimpo opened on March 23, 2007,[1] with the remaining length of 20.4 km to Seoul Station scheduled to be operational in January 2010.
The line is being constructed by a consortium (Eukorail) headed by French company Alstom and South Korean company Rotem, which also built the KTX high-speed train line.
The line was officially named the Incheon International Airport Railroad (인천국제공항철도), abbreviated I'REX, in July 1998, but was renamed in June 2006.
[edit] Services
Both express and commuter services will be operated. Express services will operate with 30-to-60 minute headways, taking 45 minutes and a fare of ₩10,650 for the journey to the city, while commuter services will operate at 5-to-30 minute intervals and take 53 minutes and cost ₩4,250. Journeys from Incheon to Gimpo will take 28/33 minutes and cost ₩7,000/2,800 on express and commuter services respectively.[2] The fare for a commuter train to Gimpo airport is almost the same as Korail's Mugunghwa train, but express service is more expensive than the KTX train.[3]
The trains have a design speed of 120 km/h. Express trains have overhead shelves and comfortable seats similar to those in KTX high-speed trains. Commuter trains are similar to subway trains and do not have overhead shelves. The A'REX line is colored blue on Seoul subway maps, but does not offer free transfers nor free tickets for elderly and handicapped people.
[edit] Stations
| Number | Name | Korean | Commuter 일반 |
Express 직통 |
Connecting lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A10 | Incheon International Airport | 인천국제공항 | X | X | |
| A09 | Incheon Int'l Airport Cargo Terminal | 공항화물청사 | X | - | |
| A08 | Unseo | 운서 | X | - | |
| A07 | Geomam | 검암 | X | - | Incheon Subway Line 2 (planned) |
| A06 | Gyeyang | 계양 | X | - | Incheon Subway Line 1 |
| A05 | Gimpo Airport | 김포공항 | X | X | Line 5 / Line 9 (planned) |
| A04 | Digital Media City | 디지털미디어시티 | X | - | Line 6, Gyeongui Line (planned) |
| A03 | Hongik University | 홍대입구 | X | - | Line 2, Gyeongui Line (planned) |
| A02 | Gongdeok | 공덕 | X | - | Line 5, Line 6, Gyeongui Line (planned) |
| A01 | Seoul Station | 서울역 | X | X | Line 1, Line 4, KTX |
Earlier plans to link to Yongsan Station have been dropped. There are plans to offer through services via Gimpo Airport from the commuter line to Seoul Subway Line 9 (under construction).
[edit] References
- ^ Gimpo-Incheon airport rail opens (English). Korea Herald (2007-03-24). Retrieved on 2007-03-23.
- ^ 영업계획 (Korean). A'REX. Retrieved on 2007-03-08.
- ^ 공항철도 운임 분석 (Korean). Retrieved on 2007-03-19.
[edit] External links
- (Korean) A'REX homepage
- Korea's first airport railway to open in 2007: the first railway concession project is underway in Korea., published by the International Railway Journal
