A batch of high-speed train cars exported by Hyundai Rotem to Uzbekistan awaits loading (Photo courtesy of Hyundai Rotem)
SEOUL, Dec. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Hyundai Rotem Co., the train and defense subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group, on Wednesday shipped its initial batch of high-speed train exports to Uzbekistan after completing production ahead of schedule, the company said.
A send-off ceremony for the shipment was held in Changwon, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, with officials from both countries, including Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev, and Hyundai Rotem executives in attendance.
The shipment consists of six high-speed trains, totaling 42 cars, customized for Uzbekistan’s track conditions and desert climate. They are based on the company’s EMU-260 model, which has been in commercial operation since 2021.
The trains will operate on long-distance routes spanning about 1,286 km in Uzbekistan.
“The fact that we are shipping these trains early demonstrates the strength of Korea’s accumulated high-speed rail technology,” Kim Jeong-hoon, head of Hyundai Rotem’s Rail Solutions Division, said during the ceremony, according to the company.
Hyundai Rotem secured the contract in June 2024 from Uzbekistan Railways Corp., which then marked South Korea’s first overseas export deal of domestically developed high-speed trains.
Hyundai Rotem said it plans to use the Uzbekistan project as a foundation to expand future high-speed rail exports.
“We will ensure smooth delivery and maintenance support for all trainsets,” a company official said. “Together with our domestic partners, we will continue promoting the excellence of K-high-speed rail around the world.”
(Yonhap)
