A'REX in Korea

[ruready1000]

AREX is the Republic of Korea's largest ever private investment project, and Its first public infrastructure private investment railway project. It is a response to both growing air traffic and the need for diversification of transport provision.

AREX is a 61km double-track railway with 10 stations, a rolling stock depot and a central control facility, It is a major (4 trillion Won) private investment project.

ROUTE
Incheon International Airport ~ Incheon International Airport Cargo Terminal ~ Unseo ~ Geomam ~ Gyeyang ~ Gimpo International Airport ~ Digital Media City ~ Hongik University ~ Gongdeok ~ Seoul Station




Phase 1 (opened in 2007)
40.3 km (Incheon International Airport ~ Incheon International Airport Cargo Terminal ~ Unseo ~ Geomam ~ Gyeyang ~ Gimpo International Airport)

Phase 2 (under construction)
20.7 km (Gimpo International Airport ~ Digital Media City ~ Hongik University ~ Gongdeok ~ Seoul Station)

Official Site : http://www.arex.or.kr/jsp/eng/index.jsp

























































from http://blog.empas.com/choipr










































from http://www.flickr.com/photos/titicat/tags/arex/

[LtBk]

Cool project.

[Simon91]

Woah! Awesome!

[Jaroslaw]

This project is a bad joke. Almost no one uses the train. I went into that station once on a busy late afternoon, and I thought it wasn't in service yet, that's how quiet it was.

Even to Kimpo, the bus is faster than the train, more comfortable (you are guaranteed a seat), and more frequent.

Plus, the bus terminal is a lot closer than the train station at Incheon. To get to the train, you need to go outside and walk about 500 meters, then a long descent underground. Who's going to do that with luggage? The train-terminal connection in Hong Kong or even in Tokyo Kansai is so much better!

[ruready1000]

Originally Posted by Jaroslaw

This project is a bad joke. Almost no one uses the train. I went into that station once on a busy late afternoon, and I thought it wasn't in service yet, that's how quiet it was.

Even to Kimpo, the bus is faster than the train, more comfortable (you are guaranteed a seat), and more frequent.

Plus, the bus terminal is a lot closer than the train station at Incheon. To get to the train, you need to go outside and walk about 500 meters, then a long descent underground. Who's going to do that with luggage? The train-terminal connection in Hong Kong or even in Tokyo Kansai is so much better!

You are right that there're not much passengers now. But I don't think it's a bad joke. One of the main target of this project is ' to link Incheon airport to Seoul station', providing easy access to Incheon airport for those who use trains at Seoul station. And if phase 2 is completed it will be linked to subway line 1,2,4,5,6,9 then it means you can use it more easily.

[sterlinglush]

Originally Posted by Jaroslaw

This project is a bad joke. Almost no one uses the train. I went into that station once on a busy late afternoon, and I thought it wasn't in service yet, that's how quiet it was.

Even to Kimpo, the bus is faster than the train, more comfortable (you are guaranteed a seat), and more frequent.

Plus, the bus terminal is a lot closer than the train station at Incheon. To get to the train, you need to go outside and walk about 500 meters, then a long descent underground. Who's going to do that with luggage? The train-terminal connection in Hong Kong or even in Tokyo Kansai is so much better!

I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a bad joke, but the implementation has been impractical. Only extending the line to Gimpo wasn't the smartest idea, because by far most passengers will be going to and from other parts of the Seoul/Incheon metro area. In its current form, the only people who benefit are people transferring between airports. The express trains are useless, also: they only run once an hour and save a few minutes. What's the point? The upside is that no one checks your ticket once you're on board, so if there's no commuter train and the express is about to depart, just board and take a seat. You're pretty much guaranteed a no-hassle trip, particularly if you do not appear Korean.

Yes, the buses are closer: you can walk right out of baggage claim and board a bus in short order. However, you have to wait outside in subfreezing weather. The train station is a longer walk but it's all indoors. And personally, being prone to motion sickness, and not sharing the Korean love of suffocating heat during winter, I'd rather eat a bowl of light bulbs than take one of those airport buses. When I lived in Korea, I took the subway to Gimpo and AREX the rest of the way to Incheon whenever possible. It wasn't the fastest option and could be annoying with a suitcase, but it was much better than arriving half dead from nausea and oxygen deprivation.

[Messi]

Are these rotem vehicles?

[ruready1000]

Originally Posted by Argentinian Messi

Are these rotem vehicles?

Yes. Incheon Int’l Airport EMUs

[Andrew]

I love these pictures, they look so futuristic!

[hkskyline]

[ruready1000]

photos from togepy63


I happend to find this blog, so do some search about this program.


MTB train program

http://www.arex.or.kr/jsp/MTB/mtb_Agreement.jsp

A'REX has MTB train program, which make it possible to ride on subway with bycycle.


* You can't use it personally. You have to organize group around 20 members.

* Time
- March to May, September to November
- Monday ~ Thursday : not available
- Friday : once a day
- Saturday/Sunday : twice a day

* Station Available
- Gimpo Airport/Gyeyang < -- > Unseo/Incheon Internation Airport Cargo Terminal

* Reservation
- You have to reserve the day before 30 days ~ 2 days you want.
(But when you try to reserve on A'REX site, it says you have to complete the reservation at lease before 7 days.)
- In fairness to others you can't reserve above twice a month.

[zergcerebrates]

Isn't this suppose to be the airport's train station?

[The Chemist]

They seem to use a very literal translation for the Chinese for 'Airport'. The one they've used on the sign (空港）is one I've NEVER seen in China - I've always seen it translated to '飞机场'.

[ddes]

One of them's Japanese.

[FML]

I assume that 空港鉄道 (Gonghang-cheoldo) is not Japanese, but Korean in hanja. Though the word 空港鉄道 (Kūkō-tetsudō) can be used as Japanese, Japanese kanji is slightly different from the traditional Chinese script (=hanja). 港, for instance, takes 己 in Japanese, not 巳.

[Micrav]

Originally Posted by ruready1000

This station looks incredible !
But where are located the trains in this structure? Under the floor?

[ovem]

wow! awesome train. its just amazing! what;s the service frequency? and how much does it cost from the one side to the other?

[flesh_is_weak]

Originally Posted by Micrav

This station looks incredible !
But where are located the trains in this structure? Under the floor?

at first, i really thought that the trains would be in those cylindrical structures--turned out to be indoor gardens...

yup, the trains are underground...

* * *

personally, i would consider this one of the best train rides i ever had--albeit short...

and for an 'accidental tourist' like me, it's a better alternative to the airport buses...i was kind of puzzled though since the train i took to Seoul was an express one, but the one i took on my way to Incheon made stops in the stations in its way to the airport...

i don't recall it clearly, but i think i paid a thousand won more for the ride to Seoul, and since the difference in time isn't that much, i guess it's a better deal to take the 'regular' train (although the express trains were better looking and they have attendants that bowed whenever they move from car to car, that really surprised me at first...)

[ruready1000]

Originally Posted by The Chemist

They seem to use a very literal translation for the Chinese for 'Airport'. The one they've used on the sign (空港）is one I've NEVER seen in China - I've always seen it translated to '飞机场'.

You're right. Korean media also criticized that there're many wrong chinese which is not in use in china. A'REX route map in chinese use 机场 in Kimpo Airport sign but use 空港 in Incheon International Airport. However the information section of each station use 机场.

I assume that 空港鉄道 (Gonghang-cheoldo) is not Japanese, but Korean in hanja. Though the word 空港鉄道 (Kūkō-tetsudō) can be used as Japanese, Japanese kanji is slightly different from the traditional Chinese script (=hanja). 港, for instance, takes 己 in Japanese, not 巳.

Korea also use 空港(己) and according to chinese dictionary, china also use 己.
I think the sign used 巷 mistakenly.

wow! awesome train. its just amazing! what;s the service frequency? and how much does it cost from the one side to the other?

Time table : http://www.arex.or.kr/jsp/eng/time/time_table.jsp
Fare : http://www.arex.or.kr/jsp/eng/fare/fare.jsp

- Commuter Train (Incheon airport to Kimpo airport ) : 3,200 Won
- Express Train (Incheon airport to Kimpo airport ) : 3,200 Won
- Originally, Expess train fare is 8,200 Won but 3,200 till 31. Dec, 2009.

[hkskyline]