Korea's KTX makes first overseas export deal with Uzbekistan

Korea's high-speed railway, the KTX, is set for its first overseas export to Uzbekistan.

Rendering of the KTX manufactured by Hyundai Rotem to be exported to Uzbekistan

Korea's high-speed railway, the KTX, is set for its first overseas export to Uzbekistan.

Hyundai Rotem signed a $200 million contract on Friday to export six KTX-Eum trains to Uzbekistan Railways. The signing took place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital, witnessed by President Yoon Suk Yeol and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The deal marks the first realized supply contract during Yoon's seven-day trip to three Central Asian countries.

"This is the first export of high-speed trains developed with homegrown technology," Yoon said in a joint press conference following a summit at the presidential palace in Tashkent. Korea began operating high-speed trains in 2004 after importing the French TGV.

The exported train, the UTY EMU-250, is an improved model of the KTX-Eum currently operating in Korea, tailored to meet local conditions, such as an additional VIP car. It is a distributed power high-speed train capable of operating at 250 kilometers (155 miles) per hour, which contrasts with Uzbekistan’s existing power-concentrated high-speed trains.

"The UTY EMU-250 can transport more passengers than the high-speed trains currently operating in Uzbekistan," explained the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. "It also boasts a superior propulsion, acceleration and deceleration performance, and its lower axle load minimizes the impact on tracks and other railway infrastructure."

The exported high-speed train vehicles feature 87 percent domestically produced components, including electric traction systems, braking systems, transformers and passenger doors, allowing 128 Korean small and medium-sized component suppliers to enter the overseas market, the ministry added.

To ensure the continuous operation of the KTX, both nations also signed a memorandum of understanding on the Railway Cooperation. The agreement focuses on the exchange of high-speed train operation and maintenance technologies, training of related personnel and support for the construction of vehicle bases.

Additionally, Mirziyoyev committed to supporting Korean companies in the $5.3 billion Tashkent-Andijan road project, set for bidding in the latter half of the year.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]