Gwangju Urban Railway Line 2 Train Cars Arrive at Depot for First Time; December 2028 Opening Targeted

17 trainsets (34 cars) to be delivered in stages through November
Test runs to begin next year on 17-km main-line section
91.7 billion won for train cars and inspection equipment production

The train cars to be deployed on Gwangju Urban Railway Line 2 arrived at the depot for the first time on October 14. The first-phase section is scheduled to open in December 2028, following main-line test runs beginning in 2027.

According to Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, 17 trainsets (34 cars) for Phase 1 of Urban Railway Line 2 will be delivered to the depot in stages from October 14 through November 2026.

A train on Urban Railway Line 2. Courtesy of Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City.

Construction of the train cars began in April 2025 at a factory in Ochang, North Chungcheong Province, and was completed in August 2026. The first trainset, the initial production unit, has been undergoing running and performance tests on the Gyeongsan test track in North Gyeongsang Province since September 2026. The tests will continue through November. The remaining 16 trainsets will be moved to the depot starting October 14.

The delivered train cars will undergo tests to ensure they connect properly with electrical, signaling and communications systems. The initial trainset will then travel 2,500 km on the depot test track, while each of the remaining trainsets will travel 1,000 km, as their running performance and safety are checked.

Starting in 2027, test runs will be conducted on approximately 17 km of the Phase 1 main line of Urban Railway Line 2. The trains will run on the actual tracks to check their integration with railway infrastructure, including electrical, signaling, communications and track systems, as well as running safety.

A total of 91.766 billion won will be spent on manufacturing and purchasing the train cars and inspection equipment. Woojin Industrial Systems will manufacture and deliver 33 trainsets in total—17 for Phase 1 and 16 for Phase 2—as well as 88 types of inspection equipment.

The city also plans to hold a public viewing event for the train cars at the depot before the end of 2026.

Park Geumhwa, head of the Urban Railway Construction Headquarters, said, "We will thoroughly verify the compatibility of the train cars with railway infrastructure and their safety, and provide transparent updates on major construction milestones and preparations for opening."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.