Uzbekistan brought its first high-speed train into service in May 2026: the EMU-250, built by South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem. Named Jaloliddin Manguberdi after the medieval military commander and national hero, it now runs between Tashkent and Khiva in the west of the country, covering around 1,200 km in seven-and-a-half hours and touching 250 km/h on some sections.
The Uzbekistan order gave South Korea its first export of high-speed rail expertise. Getting there took less than 30 years, and started with importing complete trains. ROLLINGSTOCK traces how Korea built its high-speed engineering base — one that now stands on the threshold of building trains for 370 km/h.
KTX-I: localising French technology
South Korea’s economy was booming in 1989 when the government decided to build the country’s first high-speed line, between Seoul and Busan. Lacking domestic expertise, it brought in manufacturers from France, Germany and Japan. A 1994 tender awarded the contract to France’s Alstom: 46 trains for the 1,435 mm gauge network used across South Korea’s main lines, plus power supply, signalling and communications systems. Thirty-four of the trainsets had to be built in South Korea, with localisation set at 50%.
KTX trainset on test in France (right). Source: ImmediateTank9565/reddit (collage)
The KTX, later known unofficially as the KTX-I, was based on the TGV-Réseau, a concentrated-traction train running since 1993, with power cars at each end and articulated passenger cars. Engineers increased the number of passenger cars from eight to 18, nearly doubling the train’s length, from 200 m to 388 m, and motorised the outer bogies of the end cars to deliver the necessary dynamic performance. Twelve synchronous traction motors went into the train, each uprated by 30 kW, from 1,100 kW to 1,130 kW, giving the trainset a total output of 13,560 kW and a top speed of 330 km/h. The electrical equipment was adapted to South Korea’s 25 kV 60 Hz AC overhead standard, and the carbodies were sealed more tightly to reduce pressure changes in tunnels.
KTX-I trainset in service. Source: ungding/Trainspo
Testing began in France in 1997 and in South Korea the following year. Construction of the high-speed line itself ran into delays, caused by the Asian financial crisis, opposition from some local communities and other economic and political headwinds. Assembly at Hyundai Rotem’s Changwon plant started in 2002, and the last trainset rolled out in 2004 — the same year the first phase of the line opened and the trains entered commercial service. Four years later, the operating speed rose from 300 km/h to 305 km/h
HSR-350X: the first domestic prototype
While the Alstom deal was still taking shape, the South Korean government launched a separate national programme, G7, at the end of 1996, aiming to build a domestic 350 km/h train. The Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) led the effort, with Hyundai Rotem — the country’s leading rolling stock manufacturer — handling production, and around 70 research, academic and manufacturing organisations contributed along the way.
By 2002, an experimental seven-car trainset, the HSR-350X, had been built. Its layout echoed the KTX-I, but with several significant technical differences: aluminium carbodies, asynchronous motors, and converters built around integrated gate-commutated thyristors (IGCTs). Electronically controlled disc brakes and eddy-current magnetic brakes rounded out the design.
First three cars of the HSR-350X on display at the Korail Railroad Museum in Uiwang. Source: AdlerGyörgy/Wikimedia
The prototype hit 352.4 km/h in 2004, and testing continued through 2008. In effect, the HSR-350X worked as a rolling testbed, proving out technologies for what came next.
KTX-Sancheon: an indigenous design on a French basis
National operator Korail ordered 24 trains of a new model, the KTX-II, from Hyundai Rotem in 2006. The type was later renamed KTX-Sancheon. Its design drew on lessons from operating the KTX-I and testing the HSR-350X, and this time localisation reached 87%.
Layout-wise, the KTX-Sancheon went back to the original TGV concept: ten cars, two power cars and eight passenger cars, with motors no longer fitted in the passenger cars themselves. Traction and auxiliary systems were rebuilt from scratch, using asynchronous motors with a combined output of 8,800 kW and IGBT-based converters, and aluminium carbodies for the passenger cars. Hyundai Rotem quoted a maximum speed of 330 km/h (350 km/h for later variants), with an operating speed of 305 km/h, and the trains can couple in pairs to run as a single multiple-unit formation.
KTX-Sancheon trainset runs along the coast of the East Sea. Source: Myeongho/Trainspo
The passenger saloon changed too. Second-class seat pitch grew from 930 mm to 980 mm, and the seats became reversible, turning to face the direction of travel — a feature that went on to become standard across Korean high-speed trains. At 201 m long, a trainset seats between 363 and 410 passengers, depending on layout.
Hyundai Rotem unveiled the train in 2008, and the first batch entered service in 2010 — though not smoothly. Strong vibration at high speed, motor and equipment failures, cracking and corrosion in some components, and software faults all caused regular delays and cancellations early on. Hyundai Rotem put it down to “teething problems,” typical of new equipment bedding in.
Three more orders followed between 2012 and 2014, taking deliveries to 72 trains by 2017. Of these, 32 trainsets now run with SR (Supreme Railways), South Korea’s alternative high-speed operator, under the SRT brand.
HEMU-430X: the move to distributed traction
South Korea’s dense population and frequent stops meant concentrated-traction trains simply couldn’t accelerate fast enough. So in 2007, a consortium of KRRI and 50 South Korean companies set out to build a distributed-traction EMU capable of 400 km/h — a figure later raised to 430 km/h — backed by KRW 93.1 bln ($80 mln) in state funding.
HEMU-430X test train. Source: JoongAngIlbo
The HEMU-430X prototype, unveiled in 2012, comprised six cars, five of them powered. It broke new ground with lightweight aluminium carbodies shaped for lower drag and a suspension using semi-active, adjustable damping. One car even carried permanent-magnet synchronous traction motors on an experimental basis, while the rest used asynchronous motors rated at 410 kW each, for a total output of 8,200 kW. Axle load stayed under 14 tf, three tonnes-force lighter than the KTX and KTX-Sancheon.
The HEMU-430X reached 421.4 km/h on test in April 2013, and went on to trial new train control and communications systems over the following years. It now sits in reserve at Osong depot, but its real legacy is the generation of series-built high-speed trains it made possible.
EMU-320 and EMU-260: South Korea’s domestic trains
Following a 2016 tender, Korail signed contracts with Hyundai Rotem to develop and supply 21 distributed-traction high-speed trains: 19 six-car EMU-260 units (KTX-Eum) with a design speed of 260 km/h, and two eight-car EMU-320 units (KTX-Cheongryong) at 320 km/h. The EMU-260 was aimed mainly at upgraded conventional lines, the EMU-320 at dedicated high-speed lines. Hyundai Rotem announced localisation at 90%, with all major assemblies and components said to be built domestically. Traction gearboxes from Voith, door drives and a handful of other parts stayed imported.
EMU-260 at Yongsan station in Seoul. Source: TakeshiAida/Wikimedia
Both trains share a layout with driving trailer cars at each end and powered intermediate cars — an arrangement similar to Japan’s Shinkansen. Maximum axle load reaches 15 tf, and the in-house traction system uses asynchronous motors rated at 380 kW each, for a total output of 6,080 kW on the EMU-260 and 9,120 kW on the EMU-320. Acceleration jumped significantly too: the EMU-320 reaches 300 km/h in 212 seconds, 40–70% faster than the KTX-I or KTX-Sancheon.
Wider carbodies — 3,150 mm, 20 cm more than earlier generations — freed up space for a roomier saloon and 2+2 first-class seating, with seat pitch aligned to the windows. At 199 m long, the EMU-320 seats 501 to 515 passengers, 25–40% more than a KTX-Sancheon of similar length, while the shorter, 150 m EMU-260 holds 381.
Hyundai Rotem EMU-320 high-speed train in SR livery. Source: 최민중
Both trains were originally due in service by 2020, but design changes pushed that back: the EMU-260 arrived in 2021, the EMU-320 in 2024. The EMU-320 currently tops out at 305 km/h in service, though that’s set to rise to its full 320 km/h design speed from 2028, once reconstruction of the Pyeongtaek–Osong section wraps up. As of early 2026, two EMU-320 trainsets are running, with three more of the new variant in testing; 33 have been ordered in total, 19 for Korail and 14 for SR. Meanwhile, 33 of the 47 EMU-260 trains on order are already in service.
EMU-250: the first export model
Hyundai Rotem markets the EMU-260/EMU-320 platform as its international expansion play. It has already bid for a high-speed tender in Morocco and signed preliminary memoranda covering possible local production in Vietnam and Poland. But the first real export order, worth KRW 270 bln ($195 mln), came in summer 2024, from Uzbekistan Railways (UTY), the country’s national operator: six seven-car trains plus maintenance, backed by a concessional loan from the Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM). The first trainset arrived in 2025, with the last due for shipment in 2027.
Hyundai Rotem adapted the EMU-250 specifically for its new customer. The gauge changed to 1,520 mm, and the steps moved inward for easier access to low platforms. Given Uzbekistan’s climate, the operating range widened to –40°C to +50°C (against –35°C to +45°C for the Korean trains), with reinforced cooling and added protection against sand and dust. Five powered cars would have been overkill for a 250 km/h train, so the fourth, centre car went unpowered instead. Some sources say the traction motors were also detuned, from 380 kW to 345 kW, but ROLLINGSTOCK hasn’t been able to confirm that officially.
Inside, the layout suits long journeys, with VIP seating in the end cars and a dining area at the centre. The 174 m train seats 389 passengers.
Uzbekistan’s transport ministry said in June 2026 that it was finalising technical terms for eight more Hyundai Rotem high-speed trains, destined for routes from Tashkent to Andijan and Termez. Alongside that, a consortium of South Korean companies has delivered a feasibility study for the country’s first dedicated high-speed line, between Tashkent and Samarkand, designed for speeds of up to 300 km/h. South Korea has every reason to push these projects through: a line like this would anchor the country’s portfolio as it works to export its high-speed rail know-how more broadly.
Ahead: EMU-370 and a new bogie concept
The development programme for a new train, the EMU-370, wrapped up at the end of 2025, with a design speed of 370 km/h and a maximum of 407 km/h. As before, a consortium of South Korean companies is carrying out the project, led by KRRI and Hyundai Rotem.
The EMU-370 builds directly on the EMU-320 platform. It keeps the same layout and core technical approach, but should cut aerodynamic drag by 10%, lateral vibration by 30%, and interior noise by 2 dB. Traction motor output is set to rise by half, from 380 kW to 560 kW, while holding roughly the same size and weight — bringing total train output to 13,440 kW.
Mock-up of the high-speed EMU-370 train. Source: nanasemaru9405/X
Two test trainsets are due to be ordered this year, with testing starting in 2030 and commercial service in 2031. Hyundai Rotem expects the EMU-370 to cut journey times between South Korea’s major cities by 20–22% and to carry export potential of its own.
KRRI, meanwhile, is working on a conceptually new bogie for the next generation of trains. An inner frame, permanent-magnet synchronous traction motors and aerodynamic fairings should cut the bogie’s weight by 30%, along with its drag. KRRI says modelling has already shown the design staying dynamically stable at speeds above 550 km/h.
