This Country Will Soon Offer The World's Second-Fastest Train, And It's Not Japan

There are plenty of mistakes people make while traveling by train. Pick the cheapest ride, and you'll probably be stuck on a train moving slower than drying paint. Pick the wrong type of train, and you could be spending money faster than the blink of an eye. Knowing how to choose the right type of long-distance train is crucial, and when it comes to train systems, Asia's dominance in the sector far exceeds any other continent worldwide. China currently has the top spot for the most bullet trains, as well as the fastest, and this country will soon offer the world's second-fastest train, and no, it's not Japan.

South Korea's government and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport just revealed on December 22 that the world's second-fastest bullet train is scheduled to join its fleet in 2030 for test operations, and expect it to be fully commercialized for the public by 2031. Capable of speeds reaching a staggering 230 miles-per-hour (370 kilometers-per-hour), the new EMU-370 train is a next generation high-speed train that's going to put South Korea on the map when it comes to bullet trains that promise lightning-fast trips.

Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI), along with seven public and private organizations, led a national research and development program spanning the length of three years from April 2022 to December 2025, to design the highly anticipated EMU-370 train project that cost a total of 15.23 million dollars (22.5 billion Korean won). The EMU-370 was designed to have a fully functional top speed of up to 253 miles-per-hour (407 kilometers-per-hour), making the trip from Seoul to Busan in just under two hours, when typically it would take two-and-a-half hours.

One of the best places to take a day trip if you're staying in Seoul, is the coastal town of Busan, which will now be more accessible than ever. Currently, the EMU-320 (KTX-Cheongyong) is South Korea's fastest train, however the EMU-370's impressive stats speak for themselves. Set to seat 479 passengers with a two decibel reduced indoor noise level, and a motor capacity of 560 kilowatts, the EMU-370 puts out 47.4% more power to the equivalent of about 75 midsize family sedans with a sleek aerodynamic design, making it the sportscar of the train world.

Currently, China's CR450 high-speed train is in testing, with speeds reaching approximately 249 miles-per-hour (400 kilometers-per-hour), and is the world's leading passenger bullet train, which is set to launch in 2027 for commercialized public use. Other countries that have bullet trains, such as France, Germany, and Japan, who were the first to have a bullet train in 1964 called the Shinkansen, reach a top speed of approximately 200 miles-per-hour (320 kilometers-per-hour).

With technological advances in rail speeds, tracks must also naturally be upgraded. According to the head of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Railway Bureau, there must be significant improvements before the EMU-370 can reach full speed. Without halting operations of the railway, replacing ballast tracks with concrete tracks on some sections will be done during a four-hour period in which trains do not run. The ministry official stated they expect South Korea's high-speed rail to exceed 217 miles-per-hour (350 kilometers-per-hour) in the near future, which would secure South Korea's spot as a top player within the high-speed railway sector for years to come.