Hyundai Rotem announced on the 23rd that it will participate in the '15th International Railway Vehicles and Transport Technology Exhibition' (InnoTrans 2026).
The exhibition will be held from the 22nd to the 25th (local time) in Berlin, Germany. It is a biennial railway fair first held in 1996. The event held in 2024 saw participation from over 2,900 companies from 59 countries worldwide and approximately 169,000 visitors.
At this exhibition, Hyundai Rotem will unveil its next-generation high-speed train concept model for the first time. The next-generation high-speed train focuses on providing 'user experience' (UX) so that passengers can feel the emotion of their journey through differentiated design, not merely a change in appearance. In particular, collaborating with Hyundai Motor Group's Namyang Research Institute's Modern Design Center, it has introduced customer-oriented design noted in the premium mobility industry, going beyond the design limitations of existing railway vehicles.
For the exterior design, an aerodynamic design based on biomimicry was applied to overcome speed limits. Inspired by the body structures of organisms in nature that have evolved while overcoming resistance from air and water, it simultaneously implements aerodynamic performance and a futuristic identity.
The interior design was conceived from Korea's unique aesthetics of 'restrained beauty' and 'graceful curves.' The indoor space focused on maximizing convenience through user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) development to create new customer value. Ergonomic designs considering various postures and movements of passengers within the vehicle were applied throughout. By optimizing cross-sections of passenger compartments, spaces centered on passengers were realized, such as expanding legroom and shelf space. Aerodynamic performance was also optimized by considering the driving environment of railway vehicles, including air resistance and pressure waves generated during high-speed travel.
In addition, Hyundai Rotem will display the EMU-320 high-speed train as a full-scale vehicle at an outdoor exhibition area. The EMU-320 is a power-distributed high-speed train with a maximum operating speed of 320 km/h and also serves as the model for 'KTX-Cheongryong,' a high-speed train currently under development.
A diorama (scale model) of a hydrogen-powered tram combined with physical AI autonomous driving technology will also be showcased. The diorama is designed to allow scenarios covering the entire operation process, from pre-operation checks to autonomous driving and maintenance, to be executed via AI. In particular, it demonstrates an intelligent operating system where the vehicle's internal AI closed-circuit (CC) television detects unexpected situations, sends warning messages to the control system, and the control system analyzes them in real time to respond to emergency situations.
Trams (streetcars) running on road hanbok plates require a high level of autonomous driving technology because, unlike subways, they travel on roads shared with cars, pedestrians, bicycles, and other traffic.
Hyundai Rotem has applied an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) for railway vehicles that it completed developing independently this year to the tram, enabling it to judge people and structures and detect risks. Based on this, the company plans to continue technology development with the goal of commercializing fully autonomous hydrogen-powered trams in the future. In addition to this, a lineup of sustainable energy-based hydrogen mobility will also be exhibited, including a full-scale hydrogen fuel cell module, hydrogen-powered institutional investor vehicles, hydrogen-powered power cars, and low-floor hydrogen-powered passenger cars.
A Hyundai Rotem official stated, "Recently, the global railway market is trending to evaluate not only manufacturers' design and production capabilities but also the sustainability of projects and autonomous driving capabilities all at once," adding, "Through next-generation high-speed trains and autonomous driving technology, we will present the standards that future railways should follow."
in INDUSTRY
