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S.Korea Subway/railroad system


TheKorean

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCARKKpQN_8

 

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seoul_Metropolitan_Subway

 

The fare system works more like LIRR/MetroNorth than NYC Transit. The fare depends on how far you go. Seoul Subway also serve as Commuter train, serving outside the city limits. The line they used to use for actual commuter train was converted to subway. They are talking about brininging in commuter train to serivde however.

 

 

 

Really good demonstration in English, not mind of course.

 

None of them are mine.

 

Notice how clean and advanced the trains and the stations are. Its definitely less convenient than NYC Transit though. Its shut down from 11PM-5AM (approximately, some lines run longer than others), ran by different companies (most lines except one are government owned). But transfer is still free, except if you want to go to airport. You take AREX line, which cost extra. But theres a lot less stations where you can actually transfer.

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Because their subways are like...um...50 years newer?

 

Not to mention they did not go through the decay that the subway did during the 1980s.

 

I have taken the Hong Kong metro and was very impressed, the efficiency and cleanliness was impeccable, plus there is 30 second headway between trains during rush hour. It is also one of the only systems to make a profit.

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Because their subways are like...um...50 years newer?

 

Older systems should be more advanced in mnay ways because they are well, older, and if the operators were even somewhat competent, any progress should have been made (technology, comfort etc).

 

But its probably also the fact that Koreans are neat for the most part.

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If a system is older then it has to spend the extra millions and billions of dollars of converting their older systems to newer technologies that newer systems avoid (they only pay the cost of the newer system rather than the older systems). Add that to a system as expansive as NYC and a political atmosphere that tends to get very little done without much political clout and discussion and you're surprised anything even gets done here. Add that to the lack of funding, coupled with the fact that most other major subway systems in the world are in the capital of the country (i.e. London, Paris, DC, and in this case, Seoul) which helps to prioritize them in funding.

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  • 2 weeks later...

No one really knows much about the PyongYang one, but I think their stations that foreigners are allowed to go to, are really sweet classic design. Its incredibily deep underground though. Yes, it was designed and built by the Soviets.

 

Their rolling stocks are old and crappy, I must say.

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I think theres plenty of reasons why.

1.Koreans dont run their trains 24/7, therefore its not as expensive to maintain the trains

2.Less stations

 

Exactly, that's what I've been pretty much saying about other systems when he makes comments about the NYCT system.

 

Gwangmyeong Station. Reminds me of Jamaica.

 

S.Korea, being a small country, relies far more on railroad than US.

 

I agree with Joe, that's hell of a lot nicer than Jamaica. Jamaica's 'arch' only covers the walkway than the entire length of the platforms or is even that much taller than the station itself. It looks more like an airport terminal. Which ironically enough is where the US's priority is in over rail systems :P

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US needs airports more than rail stations. S. Korea prefers rail over air when traveling within the country. Its a small country, US is humongous.

 

Of course this is much nicer than Jamaica, but the arrangement is pretty similar IMO.

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