Daejeon to Introduce Nation's First Three-Section Articulated Vehicle with Rubber Tires

Konyang University Hospital to Yuseong Sageori Section
Scheduled to Begin Operations in the First Half of Next Year

Kim Jongmyung, Director of Railway Construction Bureau (Photo by Mo Seokbong)

Daejeon City will be the first in the country to introduce a three-section articulated vehicle based on rubber tires, rather than rails, with operations set to begin in the first half of next year.

Kim Jongmyung, Director of the Railway Construction Bureau, visited the press room on the morning of the 23rd and stated, "The pilot project for the new transportation system aims to enhance convenience and safety for all citizens, including those with limited mobility, and to establish a sustainable urban transportation system. All procedures will be conducted transparently and rationally."

Articulated bus operating in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (Photo by Daejeon City)

Through the 'New Transportation System Pilot Project,' the city plans to introduce a three-section articulated vehicle with a large passenger capacity (over 230 people) on Doandong-ro, where a central bus-only lane has been established. As there are currently no relevant laws or regulations for this type of vehicle, the project is being carried out under a regulatory sandbox exemption.

To gather expert opinions for the project, an international seminar on the introduction of the new transportation system was held at the National Assembly in September last year. In November 2024, the city participated in the Korean Society for Railway and, in May this year, in the Korea Automobile Mobility Safety Association, where in-depth discussions were held with academics and experts regarding institutional improvements and project implementation strategies.

Additionally, after discussions with the Metropolitan Transport Commission of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, and other relevant departments and expert agencies, the city applied for a regulatory fast-track review in August last year to confirm regulations related to the introduction and operation of the new transportation system. Based on this, a regulatory action plan was established. Following the application for a regulatory sandbox exemption, inter-ministerial consultations in December, and a review by the working committee, the project secured its legal basis after receiving final approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Mobility Innovation Committee in January this year.

Articulated bus operating in Yibin City, China (Photo by Daejeon City)

To move the project forward, the city began detailed design work for infrastructure construction in April this year and requested a vehicle purchase contract from the Public Procurement Service. The vehicle was selected in July, and the city plans to acquire three vehicles after completing the automobile certification process by December this year.

Meanwhile, for the planned route (Jeongnim Samgeori~Gasuwon Sageori~Doandong-ro~Yuseong Sageori~Chungnam National University), the sections overlapping with Urban Railway Line 2 tram routes (Chungnam National University~Yuseong Sageori, Gasuwon Sageori~Jeongnim Samgeori) will be partially adjusted. This is due to concerns about mismatched construction timelines with the tram project, the addition of exclusive lanes for the three-section articulated vehicles, a reduction in lanes, and resulting traffic congestion.

Photo by Daejeon City

The adjusted route will run from Konyang University Hospital to Yongso Samgeori to Doandong-ro to Yuseong Sageori. As this area is densely populated with universities, hospitals, and apartment complexes, it is expected that more citizens will be able to conveniently use the new transportation system.

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