Tilting Train Express

TTX was presented to the public on January 16, 2007, when the first test run was planned for the next month.^[2] The actual first test was conducted on April 2, 2007, on the Chungbuk Line.^[3]

Following a call by Nam-Hee Chae, the president of the Korea Railroad Research Institute, for proposals for a generic name for Korean-made high-speed trains,^[4] on April 5, 2007, Chae announced the name Hanvit (Hangul: 한빛),^[5] which means a streak of intense light in Korean.^[6] Under the new naming scheme, TTX became Hanvit 200.^[5]

The first test run with active tilting was conducted in the presence of the media on May 22, 2007, between Osong Station and nearby Ogeunjang Station on the Chungbuk Line.^[7] At the time, the train was planned to enter service in 2010.^[7] Until December 21, 2008, the train ran over 20,000 km (12,000 mi) in test runs on the Chungbuk Line, short of the 100,000 km (62,000 mi) planned.^[8] The test program of 100,000 km (62,000 mi) was completed until the end of 2009, with test runs on the Chungbuk, Jungang, Honam, Gyeongbu and Taebaek Lines followed by high-speed testing on the Gyeongbu High Speed Railway (Gyeongbu HSR), with 200 km/h (124 mph) achieved at 00:33 on November 19, 2009, between Osong and Daejeon.^[9] In a further test in September 2010 on the not yet opened second stage of the line between Daegu and Busan, the train achieved 222 km/h (138 mph).^[10]

By the end of 2009, the series version of the train was expected to enter regular service in 2013, starting on the Jungang Line.^[9] The future service is expected to reduce the travel time between Cheongnyangni in Seoul and Yeongju from the current Mugunghwa-ho travel time of 3 hours 25 minutes to 2 hours 55 minutes, further reducing to 1 hour 55 minutes after the upgrade of the Jungang Line.^[10] Further services are planned on the Taebaek and Yeongdong Lines.^[9]

However, it was deemed more efficient to bank and straighten conventional rails to higher speed specs, so production units were never built.^[11] The KTX-Eum took its role as the high speed service in the upgraded Jungang line, while the ITX-Maum took over services on the Taebaek and Yeongdong lines.

Circa 2016, the TTX was modified to be an LTE-R test train for the upcoming 250kph LTE-R upgrade of the Wonju-Gangneung section of the Gyeonggang Line. The modified set has LTE-R equipment on board, as well as related branding on the sides.^[12]

Since November 2023, car 1 the TTX is displayed in Yongsan Railroad High School [ko] to be used for training purposes.^[11]

Car 6 of the TTX is preserved in Chungnam Mechanical Technical High School [ko] for educational purposes.^[13]

• HSR-350x
• HEMU-430X
• Korea Train Express
• New Pendolino
• X 2000
• Transportation in South Korea
• Hankuk Fiber [ko]