Saemaeul-ho

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Saemaeul-ho
Retired Car-type Saemaeul-ho train hauled by a Hyundai Precision GT26CW-2 locomotive at Suwon Station.
Overview
Service type	Regional rail
Status	Operating (along Janghang Line)
Locale	South Korea
First service	February 10, 1969
Successor	ITX-Saemaeul
Current operator(s)	Korail
Route
Termini	Yongsan Iksan
Stops	18
Line(s) used	Janghang Line
Technical
Rolling stock	Korail Class 7300 [ko] DHC-PP DMU [ko]
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The Saemaeul-ho, formerly known as the Saemaul-ho and Saemaul Express, is a class of train operated by Korail, the national railroad of South Korea, since February 8, 1969. Before the introduction of the KTX express trains, the Saemaeul-ho was the fastest class of trains in South Korea, making the journey from Seoul to Busan in less than 5 hours. Saemaeul trains operated on several lines, but they now only operate on the Janghang Line.

Saemaeul-ho trains are distinguished from the more basic Mugunghwa-ho trains by their larger and comfortable seats and the absence of standing passengers. Trains are also distinguished from the Mugunghwa-ho trains by their colour; typical Saemaeul train passenger cars are painted in red and black. In the past, Saemaeul passenger cars were painted in green, blue, and yellow. The length of a Saemaeul train varies from 5 cars to 12 cars, either as one or two sets; certain Saemaeul-ho trains that ran from Seoul to Busan separated at Gupo station, with one half travelling along the Bujeon Line and Donghae Nambu Line to Haeundae, and the travelling down the main Gyeongbu Line to Busan station.

The Saemaeul-ho took its name from the Saemaul Undong, a movement for rural revitalization spearheaded by Park Chung-hee in the 1970s.

The Saemaeul-ho class was phased out on all lines except the Janghang Line by the ITX-Saemaeul starting on May 12, 2014. The new ITX-Saemaeul trains have a faster average speed of 150 kilometers per hour, and replaced the older Saemaeul trains gradually until April 30, 2018.^[1]