Ⓒ JoongAng Ilbo / JoongAng Ilbo Japanese version2022.07.15 10:36
◆ No record of domestic and overseas expansion for 6 years
However, the report card during that time is at a poor level. Far from expanding overseas, there is no local government that is interested in Japan. Only the burden on Incheon Airport, which has been in charge of operations, has increased sharply. Since its opening in 2016, it has cost 60 billion won for maintenance and labor costs.
Moreover, the average number of passengers per day in 2019 dropped to the 300 level following the new coronavirus infection (new pneumonia). An Incheon Airport official explained, “The average annual expenditure of 8 billion won is spent on operation and maintenance.” At one point, the plan to create a route that circulates around Yeongjongdo has virtually disappeared.
Because of this situation, the Ministry of Land, Incheon Airport, and Incheon City are promoting a plan to change the legal status of magnetically levitated trains as track facilities instead of urban railways. The reason is that if the track facility is changed, the regulations related to operation and maintenance will be relatively relaxed and the cost burden will be reduced.
◆ Promotion of change to a track facility that does not cost much
An official of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said, “Incheon City needs to change the city management plan to change the urban railway facility to a track facility, and the relevant ward office permits the closure of the urban railway and approves the new track project.” I am aware that we are currently preparing related procedures. ” By the way, in the current track transportation, the track facilities correspond to cable cars and small trams. Moreover, if it is designated as a track facility, it does not have to operate at regular intervals like an urban railway, and the speed is limited to 40 km / h or less. Currently, the operating speed of magnetic levitation trains is 80 km / h.
It means that it is inevitable that the Korean-style magnetic levitation train, which was intended for temporary export, will fall into a situation similar to that of a cable car in a tourist destination. For this reason, there is a view that the government and Incheon Airport are actually trying to establish a magnetic levitation train business.
◆ Criticism that “I made a mistake in pressing the button from the beginning”
A high-ranking official at Incheon Airport, who asked for anonymity, said, “Currently, we want to minimize or suspend operations.” The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport also judges that it is difficult to export magnetic levitation trains and advance into domestic local governments.
In the transportation academia and railway industry, the development concept of a non-super-high-speed urban magnetic levitation train was wrong in terms of competitiveness and commercialization potential. It has been pointed out that there was a problem with the selection. This is the reason why there are criticisms that the button was pressed incorrectly from the beginning.
