Busan Subway Line 1 First Train Set Designated as Nation's First Cultural Heritage

Opened and Introduced in 1985, Operated for 33 Years Until 2018

Historical and Technological Value... To Be Opened to Public in 2025

Busan Transportation Corporation (President Lee Byungjin) announced that the “Busan Urban Railway Line 1 First Train Set” has been designated as a registered cultural heritage of Busan City on the 24th, in recognition of its historical symbolism and technological value. This is the first time in the country that an urban railway train set has been designated as a city cultural heritage.

One train set of Busan Metro Line 1 at its opening on July 19, 1985.

The train set designated as a cultural heritage this time is one of the 14 train sets first introduced when Busan Urban Railway Line 1 opened on July 19, 1985, and it was in operation for 33 years until July 2018.

In particular, as the very first train set of the Busan Urban Railway, it holds great historical significance. It is also symbolic in that it was the first to be manufactured with a medium-sized stainless steel body, taking into account the regional characteristics unique to Busan, a city by the sea.

Furthermore, it was equipped with the country’s first automatic train control operation system, enabling one-person operation. This differentiated technology, unlike previous railway vehicles, greatly contributed to the advancement of railway vehicle manufacturing technology.

The first train set originally consisted of six cars when introduced in 1985, but was expanded to eight cars in 1994. The cultural heritage designation applies only to the original six cars.

The corporation will preserve the designated first train set at the vehicle depot located in Nopo-dong and open it to the public in 2025 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Busan Urban Railway.

Lee Byungjin, President of Busan Transportation Corporation, said, “The first train set of Line 1, which has served as the main mode of transportation for Busan citizens for the past 33 years, is expected to play a role in connecting Busan’s past and present as its historical symbolism and technological value have been recognized. We will continue to discover cultural heritage with high historical value related to the Busan Urban Railway and systematically manage and preserve local cultural heritage not only through Busan City but also through national cultural heritage designation.”

Busan Metro Line 1 Train Set 1, designated as a registered cultural heritage of Busan.

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