KTX HSR Report From Asia Trip

[seat38a]

Hello everyone, returned last week from a long awaited trip to Asia that took me to Bangkok, Penang, Singapore and Korea. I'm skipping most of the trip report and focusing just on the KTX part of the trip since this is a train forum. I was able to ride in both the French TGV based KTX 1 and the Korean developed KTX 2. In comparison, the ride on the French TGV based KTX 1 was much smoother than the Korean built KTX 2, but the interiors on the KTX 2 was much wider and more comfortable. On the KTX 2 the first thing I noticed was the bumpy ride on the same stretch of HSR that I took on the KTX 1 couple days earlier.

Other than one of the trips, which was in coach on a KTX 1, my parents and I were in First Class. The coach on the KTX 1 was not very comfortable. Did not really enjoy getting bumped when people came down the aisle or having someones ass in my face when two people tried to squeeze by each other.

Old Seoul Station Now a Museum

P1020734 by seat38a, on Flickr

New Station Right Next To The Old Station

P1020736 by seat38a, on Flickr

Inside The Station

P1020738 by seat38a, on Flickr

Ticket Purchasing Area

P1020739 by seat38a, on Flickr

Heading Down To Our Platform

P1020751 by seat38a, on Flickr

 

[seat38a]

Arriving KTX

P1020749 by seat38a, on Flickr

These Trains Are LONG!

P1020794 by seat38a, on Flickr

People Boarding. This Train Seemed To Be Busy In Coach

P1020753 by seat38a, on Flickr

Our Car. There Is A Small Library With Reading Materials

P1020763 by seat38a, on Flickr

P1020761 by seat38a, on Flickr

 

[seat38a]

First Class On This Train Is 2 - 1 Layout

P1020758 by seat38a, on Flickr

P1020759 by seat38a, on Flickr

Leg Room In First Class

P1020764 by seat38a, on Flickr

Info Display. This Screen Plays News And Other Videos Throughout The Journey

P1020768 by seat38a, on Flickr

 

[seat38a]

Bottled Water From The Vending Machine Is Free For First Class Passengers. Just Follow The Instructions

P1020792 by seat38a, on Flickr

The Displays Mentioned Above Also Shows The Speed On The Top Left Corner. Cruising at 300+ Km/H

P1020785 by seat38a, on Flickr

Shot After We Got Off At "Daejeon"

P1020797 by seat38a, on Flickr

Our Train Leaving Us Behind

P1020799 by seat38a, on Flickr

Next Day Continuing Our Journey South

Another KTX 1 Heading North

P1020835 by seat38a, on Flickr

 

[seat38a]

Our Train Today Is One That Was Assembled And Exported Whole To Korea. The Other 50% Of The Order Was Exported And Assembled In Korea.

P1020843 by seat38a, on Flickr

Just Hit 300 Km/H

P1020853 by seat38a, on Flickr

Lunch Sold From Trolley

P1020857 by seat38a, on Flickr

P1020859 by seat38a, on Flickr

The Seat In Front Of Me Was A Single. We Were In a Double.

P1020847 by seat38a, on Flickr

 

[seat38a]

Shot Of First Class After Everyone Has Disembarked

P1020878 by seat38a, on Flickr

Next Day Evening Heading Back Up North.

Busan Station

P1030048 by seat38a, on Flickr

This Attendant Bowed To Boarding Guests

P1030054 by seat38a, on Flickr

Todays Train Was Assembled In Korea From Imported Pieces.

P1030058 by seat38a, on Flickr

Coach Class. Half The Seats Are Facing The Direction Of Travel And Half The Opposite. Seats Facing Opposite Are Cheaper

P1030062 by seat38a, on Flickr

 

[seat38a]

Too Narrow For My American Wide Arse

P1030063 by seat38a, on Flickr

Tried to buy lunch on this leg of the journey but the lunch boxes were already sold out by the time the trolley got to us . Before we got off, the attendant brought be a lunch box saying that there was a spare but I declined since we were getting off in 10 min.

Last leg of the KTX journey The Following Day. Specifically chose to ride on the KTX 2 just to try it out.

P1030072 by seat38a, on Flickr

Unlike The KTX 1, The KTX 2 has Two Complete Sets Coupled Together To Make One LONG Train.

P1030073 by seat38a, on Flickr

Our First Class Car

P1030083 by seat38a, on Flickr

Seats Are Roomier And All Electronic Including The Recline

P1030109 by seat38a, on Flickr

 

[seat38a]

Hitting High Speed

P1030078 by seat38a, on Flickr

Bigger And Nicer But Bumpier Ride Than The French Trains.

P1030082 by seat38a, on Flickr

P1030081 by seat38a, on Flickr

P1030080 by seat38a, on Flickr

Coach Looked Much Nicer And Wider On KTX 2

P1030111 by seat38a, on Flickr

In conclusion, I can't wait to be able to take one of these between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Or even between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Nice trip and pics! Thanks for sharing!

 

[bobnjulie]

Really cool! Thanks for sharing!

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Those stations look nicer than many airports!

 

[caravanman]

That old station looks very European. Nice report and pics! I enjoyed a train trip from Thailand down to Penang, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore 30 years ago, but never been to Korea.

Pictures can be worth a thousand words, but did you enjoy the boxed train food, was food expensive, how much were the train tickets, did you fly the other legs from Penang?

Damn! I want to go back right now!

Ed.

 

[seat38a]

That old station looks very European. Nice report and pics! I enjoyed a train trip from Thailand down to Penang, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore 30 years ago, but never been to Korea.

Pictures can be worth a thousand words, but did you enjoy the boxed train food, was food expensive, how much were the train tickets, did you fly the other legs from Penang?

Damn! I want to go back right now!

Ed.

The boxed lunch cost 10,000 Won which is less than $10.00. For easy quick comparison of prices, just drop the three zeros for conversion to USD. I liked the food. The main dish was a Korean meatloaf with couple tempura pieces. One shrimp and one fish I think. Also, the stations all had TONS of restaurants including KFC and other American chains plus other takeaway box lunch places. No shortage of food for you to take aboard the train.

We flew:

Asiana LAX -> ICN -> BKK

Air Asia from DMK (Old Bangkok Airport) -> PEN

Air Asia from PEN -> SIN

Asiana from SIN -> ICN

Asiana from ICN -> LAX

Air Asia is the Southwest Airlines of South East Asia. If you book in advance, its really cheap!

Here are pictures of the ticket for two legs of the train trip. You can see the price on it.

For 55 min train ride in First Class

P1020742 by seat38a, on Flickr

1.5 hour trip in First Class

P1020844 by seat38a, on Flickr

No one at the ticket counter told us on the first two legs of the trip but since by Dad is over 62, he qualified for a discount. He only got to use it on the last two legs of the trip. It was a BIG discount at almost 1/3 off the regular price.

 

[seat38a]

That old station looks very European. Nice report and pics! I enjoyed a train trip from Thailand down to Penang, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore 30 years ago, but never been to Korea.

Pictures can be worth a thousand words, but did you enjoy the boxed train food, was food expensive, how much were the train tickets, did you fly the other legs from Penang?

Damn! I want to go back right now!

Ed.

I'm told the old station was built by the Japanese during the occupation of Korea.

 

[seat38a]

Couple observations of the KTX crew and operation of the train. Tickets were never scanned or lifted. What they did was come through to check if someone was sitting in the sold seat or not. Only when someone was sitting in the wrong seat would they check tickets. Tickets were NOT checked at any time during our journey. Also, when a crew member would leave our compartment, they would face the passengers and bow before heading out the door. This was on all trains so it must we a Korail policy.

I also loved how the luggage racks are made of translucent material so one can see if they left anything just by looking at the bottom of the rack. No need to step on the seat to check that you got everything. I also forgot to mention above that the KTX1 does NOT have a power outlet but the KTX2 does.

 

[greatcats]

I have seen the train crews bow on Japanese trains. Thank you for your wonderful set of pictures. That photo of the Korean meal looks pretty good. Let's have some Korean food on Amtrak and spice up the cuisine! Ha! Fat chance.

 

[Shawn Ryu]

That old station looks very European. Nice report and pics! I enjoyed a train trip from Thailand down to Penang, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore 30 years ago, but never been to Korea.

Pictures can be worth a thousand words, but did you enjoy the boxed train food, was food expensive, how much were the train tickets, did you fly the other legs from Penang?

Damn! I want to go back right now!

Ed.

That station was built in 1900s when Korea was colonialized by Japan, and back then Japan was importing everything European. Hence the building.

 

[Steve4031]

Excellent trip report.

 

[caravanman]

Thanks again for the extra info on prices, etc, and also for the old station info. I was trying to recall if any european country had colonised Korea, the Japan colonizing aspect is new to me. I had heard that the Japanese used 19th Century German school uniforms as the basis for their own school uniforms, amazing that they absorbed the station designs too!

Are there european looking stations in Japan itself?

Ed