The Korean Train Control System (KTCS) is a

train protection system A train protection system is a railway technical installation to ensure safe operation in the event of human error. Development Train stops The earliest systems were train stops, as still used by the New York City Subway, the Toronto rapid ...

established as a standard specification for the South Korean railway. KTCS-1 is designed for general lines (ATP), KTCS-2 for high-speed lines, and KTCS-M for

Urban rail transit Urban rail transit is a wide term for various types of local rail systems providing passenger service within and around urban or suburban areas. The set of urban rail systems can be roughly subdivided into the following categories, which som ...

History

Before the development of the KTCS,

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

did not have domestically produced train signal control system technology, so most of the core technology was imported. Afterwards, it was developed according to the national

Research and development Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in some countries as OKB, experiment and design, is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products. R&D constitutes the first stage ...

(R&D) project, the domestic signal system standardization and domestic production plan. If the Gyeongbu high-speed train signal control system is built in the country's version, KTCS-2, it will be possible to save about 1.2 trillion

South Korean won The South Korean won (symbol: ₩; code: KRW; ) is the official currency of South Korea. A single won is divided into 100 jeon, the monetary subunit. The jeon is no longer used for everyday transactions, and it appears only in foreign exchange ...

or more in budget compared to the existing foreign system, and it will also be possible to provide infrastructure that supports operating speeds of up to 320 km/h. In 2012, the Korea Railroad Research Institute,

Korail The Korea Railroad Corporation () is the national railway operator in South Korea. It is branded as KORAIL () and changed its official Korean name () in November 2019. Currently, KORAIL is a public corporation, managed by Ministry of Land, ...

and

Hyundai Rotem Hyundai Rotem Company, often referred to as Hyundai Rotem (), is a South Korean manufacturer of railway rolling stock, railway signalling, defense products and plant equipment. It is a member of Hyundai Motor Group and has presence in more than ...

participated as research institutes in a project led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. In 2018, the world's first

LTE LTE may refer to: Science and technology * LTE (telecommunication) (Long-Term Evolution), a mobile telephony standard ** LTE Advanced, an enhancement ** LTE Advanced Pro, a further enhancement * Compaq LTE, a line of laptop computers * Leukotrie ...

-R wireless communication-based train control system, KTCS-2, was developed as a national R&D project, and KTCS-2, manufactured by Hyundai Rotem, completed R&D, performance verification, and product certification in the same year. Lee Seong-hae, Chairman of Korail, evaluated KTCS-2 as "a unique railway technology developed through national research and development, and a key technology that simultaneously secures the safety, efficiency, and economy of railways." In 2022, KTCS-2 successfully completed commercial operation on the

Jeolla Line The Jeolla Line () is a railway line in North and South Jeolla Provinces in South Korea. The line is served by frequent passenger trains from Seoul (via the Gyeongbu and Honam Lines) to Yeosu. History The first railway along a section of ...

. As of 2024, the design for introduction to the

Gyeongbu high-speed railway The Gyeongbu high-speed railway, also known as Gyeongbu HSR, is South Korea's first high-speed rail line from Seoul to Busan. KTX high-speed trains operate three sections of the line: on 1 April 2004, the first between a junction near Geumch ...

for KTX (Korea Train Express) is currently underway.

Usage

KTCS is largely classified into three types: KTCS-1 is designed for general lines, KTCS-2 for high-speed lines, and KTCS-M for

. In addition, it meets the standards of

European Train Control System The European Train Control System (ETCS) is a train protection system designed to replace the many incompatible systems used by European railways, and railways outside of Europe. ETCS is the signalling and control component of the European ...

(ETCS). In particular, KTCS-2 is compatible with both ETCS Level-1 and Level-2. KTCS-2 manufactured by

was applied to the Daegyeong Line electric train that started operation on December 14, 2024. KTCS-2 is scheduled to be built sequentially on the Gyeongbu High Speed Line by 2028, followed by the Honam High-speed Line and Suseo High Speed Railway (SRT).

References

{{Railwaysignalling Train protection systems Railway signalling in South Korea