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Daejeon Urban Railway Line 2 Tram Perspective Rendering (Provided by Daejeon City)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The Metropolitan Transportation Committee under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 12th that it has established a 'Standard Specification for Tram Vehicles' that local governments can use when planning tram projects and introducing tram vehicles. This standard specification presents a total of 35 detailed items across four areas: performance, body, user convenience, and safety.

The establishment of this standard specification was prepared to support local governments' tram projects. Trams, a mode of transportation that runs on rails laid on roads, are widely used as public transportation in major cities in Europe, North America, and other regions. Korea began laying the institutional groundwork for tram introduction through the revision of related laws such as the 'Urban Railway Act' starting in 2016. Starting as early as 2023, the Busan Oryukdo Line, followed by the Seoul Wirye Line and Daejeon Line 2, are scheduled to operate sequentially.

However, since there have been no domestic operation cases and the types of tram vehicles from overseas manufacturers are diverse, local governments have faced difficulties in selecting vehicles and planning routes. Additionally, concerns have been raised that if various vehicles are introduced by region, maintenance and operational efficiency will decrease, and vehicle purchase costs will increase due to small-scale customized orders by region. This standard specification is expected to significantly alleviate these issues.

The standard specification first categorizes tram vehicles into two types: catenary trams and catenary-free trams. Catenary trams are currently widely used worldwide and require the installation of overhead electric wires along the tracks to supply power to the vehicles. Catenary-free trams, currently under development domestically, receive power from batteries or fuel cells, eliminating the need for overhead wires.

The performance of tram vehicles is set with a maximum speed of 70 km/h and an input voltage of 750V, suitable for urban power supply, with key performance aspects such as acceleration and deceleration levels set to be equivalent to those of trams mainly operated overseas. The body specifications are based on a 5-module, 1 trainset (35m) configuration widely operated worldwide, with a vehicle width of 2.65m and height of 3.6m to suit road operation, considering domestic urban road lane widths (2.75m and above) and road facility heights such as overpasses (4.5m and above).

Regarding user convenience, cooling and heating performance (8?10 kW) and lighting brightness (250 lx) are specified, and the floor height is set at 350 mm, the same as low-floor buses, considering accessibility for vulnerable groups. Safety-related collision strength and vehicle weight follow European standards and domestic and international regulations such as the Urban Railway Construction Rules.

Perspective view of the standard specification vehicle for catenary-free low-floor tram (Provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)

The Metropolitan Transportation Committee set most of the performance standards for the two types identically, but separately presented electrical performance standards for catenary-free trams based on energy storage systems (ESS). Considering current technology development status and future introduction possibilities, three types were proposed: battery, super-capacitor (ultra-high capacity capacitor), and hydrogen fuel cell. For each catenary-free method, considering the route characteristics of trams operating shorter distances compared to conventional urban railways, charging capacity and charging time were set to enable operation of at least 40 km based on battery standards.

The key figures presented in the standard specification were set considering opinions from local governments and domestic manufacturers, domestic and international technology levels, and the performance levels of trams currently in commercial operation overseas. This standard specification is advisory in nature; local governments should primarily refer to it but may adjust some items to suit local conditions.

Lee Yoon-sang, Director of the Metropolitan Transportation Operations Bureau, said, "Compared to Europe and North America, where trams are widespread, Korea has had a relatively late start. We hope that the newly established standard specification will support local governments in planning tram projects, help vehicle manufacturers secure long-term parts sales channels, and contribute to the activation of domestic trams and the growth and development of the tram industry."

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