JEONNAM-GWANGJU — Gwangju Subway Line 2 has finally taken physical form, entering full-scale preparations for its opening.
Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City said on the 14th that the first trains for Gwangju Subway Line 2 arrived at the rail depot that day, with 17 trainsets totaling 34 cars for the first phase to be delivered in phases through November. The delivery marks the starting point of substantive preparations for test runs ahead of the line's opening.
The city plans to begin mainline test runs in 2027 after depot testing and various interface verifications. Residents will also get a chance to see the new trains in person, as the city will hold a public viewing event at the depot before the end of this year.
The first-phase fleet for Gwangju Subway Line 2 consists of 17 trainsets, or 34 cars. Manufacturing began in April last year at a plant in Ochang, North Chungcheong Province, and was completed in August this year. The pilot trainset has been undergoing running and performance tests at the Gyeongsan test track in North Gyeongsang Province since September, and will be moved to the depot by November once testing is complete. The remaining mass-production trainsets, numbers 2 through 17, will be transferred from the Ochang plant to the depot in phases starting on the 14th.
Trains arriving at the depot go straight into verification procedures. Interface tests with facilities in areas including power, signaling and communications confirm whether systems operate properly and work together. Running tests then follow on the depot's test track. The pilot trainset will cover 2,500 kilometers and each mass-production trainset 1,000 kilometers to verify running performance and safety.
Trains that complete depot testing will be deployed for mainline test runs from 2027. Running along roughly 17 kilometers of the mainline, they will undergo comprehensive checks of their interface with major rail infrastructure including power, signaling, communications and track, as well as running stability and operational safety.
The city said it will then carry out remaining steps required for the opening, such as comprehensive railway trial operations, in stages to ensure the first phase opens in December 2028 without delay.
The project to manufacture and purchase trains and inspection equipment for Gwangju Subway Line 2 is worth 91.766 billion won ($64 million). Woojin Industrial Systems is manufacturing and supplying 33 trainsets and 88 types of inspection equipment, while Korea Railroad Vehicle Engineering is overseeing production.
The trains are being built in two batches: 17 trainsets in the first phase and 16 in the second.
Park Geum-hwa, head of the urban railway construction headquarters at Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, said the arrival of the first-phase trains at the depot is "the starting signal for full-scale test runs toward the opening of Gwangju Subway Line 2," adding, "We will thoroughly verify the interface between the trains and rail facilities, as well as safety."