Passenger rail transport in Menghe

Passenger trains at Hyangchun South Station. Note the mix of single-level and bi-level cars.

Menghe has the largest and busiest passenger rail transportation network in Septentrion, measured in terms of ridership and distance of track. The national rail monopoly, Menghe Railways, recorded 1.5 billion passenger trips in 2019, an average of 2.9 per Menghean citizen. This does not count trips on municipal rapid transit systems; Donggyŏng alone exceeded 3 billion metro passenger trips in the same year. Menghe also has the longest high-speed rail network in Septentrion, with over 21,000 kilometers of track operating at the end of 2020.

Route numbering

Rail directions in Menghe designate routes as either "up" (상행 / 上行, sanghaeng) or "down" (하행 / 下行, hahaeng), depending on the approximate direction of travel. These do not directly correspond to altitudes or compass directions. Rather, "up" describes routes moving toward Baekjin at Menghe's northeast corner, and "down" describes routes moving toward Samtay at Menghe's southwest corner. This practice originated when Federal Railways finished re-gauging the line from Baekiin to Sunju, which ran diagonally across the country.

If a rail line runs in a circle, as some regional routes do, the clockwise (inner) train is designated as "down," and the counterclockwise (outer) train is designated as "up," based on the direction each would be moving at the easternmost point on the route. If a rail line zigzags between directions during its route, the Railroad Regulatory Agency designates the entire line as either up or down based on the general path of travel.

In the numbering of passenger routes, "up" routes are given odd numbers, and "down" routes are given even numbers. Wherever possible, when a given line offers service in both directions, the odd and even numbers are adjacent. Thus on the Donggyŏng-Gyŏngsan high-speed line, route G2421 runs from Gyŏngsan to Donggyŏng, and route G2422 runs from Donggyŏng to Gyŏngsan.

Types of route

Currently, Menghe Railways distinguishes between the following types of passenger train, depending on train speed and the frequency of stops. Note that top speeds differ by region; in the mountainous east, high-speed trains do not accelerate above 300 km/h, while in level areas in the west, top speeds of 350 km/h are permitted. Top speeds also differ by track gauge, though newer (post-2010) rolling stock on 914mm routes is designed to reach a speed of 120 km/h when running on dual-gauge track in order to minimize interference in the flow of traffic.

Letter	Menghean name	Translation	Speed (1435mm)	Speed (914mm)	Description
G (高)	고속 여객 렬차 / 高速旅客列車 Gosok Yŏgaek Ryŏlcha	High-speed train	300-350 km/h	N/A	Direct service between major urban centers on dedicated high-speed track.
K (快)	쾌속 여객 렬차 / 快速旅客列車 Kwaesok Yŏgaek Ryŏlcha	Fast express train	200-250 km/h	N/A	Direct service between major urban centers on tracks upgraded for increased speeds. They sometimes run on dedicated express track. Includes trains that exclusively run between two cities, e.g. the Sangha-Hwasŏng fast express.
J (直)	직통 여객 렬차 / 直通旅客列車 Jiktong Yŏgaek Ryŏlcha	Express train	160 km/h	120 km/h	Direct service between urban centers at standard or slightly increased speeds.
Tŭ (特)	특급 여객 렬차 / 特急旅客列車 Tŭkgŭb Yŏgaek Ryŏlcha	Limited express train	140 km/h	120 km/h	Limited-stop service between major urban centers, usually stopping at edge cities, county-level cities, and rural transfer hubs.
To (通)	통근 여객 렬차 / 通勤旅客列車 Tonggŭn Yŏgaek Ryŏlcha	Commuter train	120 km/h	100 km/h	Stops at all stations on the suburban portion of the route, but only stops at major transfer stations within the urban center.
W (緩)	완행 여객 렬차 / 緩行旅客列車 Wanhaeng Yŏgaek Ryŏlcha	Stopping train	120 km/h	100 km/h	Regional rail which stops at all stations along a route. Usually covers a long route in a rural or rural-urban area.
Ch (車)	궤도공교차 / 軌道公交車 Gwedo Gonggyocha	Rail bus	120 km/h	80 km/h	Railbus or railcar trains (sometimes multiple units) on rural or suburban routes with low passenger traffic. Not to be confused with trams, which are operated by the municipal government.
D (都)	도시 여객 렬차 / 都市旅客列車 Dosi Yŏgaek Ryŏlcha	Metrotrain	100 km/h	80 km/h	Classification for urban rapid transit which is controlled by Menghe Railways rather than the municipal rapid transit corporation, usually because it runs on the national railway network. Stops at every urban station, unlike commuter trains which run semi-express to the city center. In large cities, operates on separate track from express trains.
Y (旅)	여행 렬차 / 旅行列車 Yŏhaeng Ryŏlcha	Tourist train	varies	varies	Trains for dedicated tourist service.

Intercity express trains, limited express trains, and stopping trains each have a sub-category of temporary (임시 / 臨時, Imsi) trains. These trains are not scheduled for year-round service, but are added to the schedule during periods of peak travel, such as the new year travel season. Temporary trains can also be mobilized on an as-needed basis for:

• Evacuating refugees from an area affected by a disaster;
• Briginging supplies and volunteers to an area affected by a disaster;
• Bringing new conscripts to training centers during the twice-annual training period;
• Moving active-duty military personnel between bases.

Service classes

History

Passenger trains in the Three States Period, the Federative Republic of Menghe, and the Greater Menghean Empire used the three-class seating system common in Casaterran countries at the time. The exact service quality varied between the different private rail companies, but in geheral, first-class carriages had fine upholstered seating and served meals, second-class carriages had cushioned seating in a 2+2 arrangement, and third-class carriages had wooden benches or beds. Sometimes third-class carriages had additional open space for carrying farm goods or livestock.

Under the Democratic People's Republic of Menghe, passenger trains officially offered only one level of service, designated "people's class." During the 1970s, some trains added carriages reserved for members of the Menghean People's Communist Party, one of many privileges which Party members could enjoy. These carriages had more comfortable seating and more storage space, and in the 1980s they were the first to receive air conditioning. They also tended to be less crowded. Even so, compared with comfort standards in Casaterran passenger trains, they were more analogous to second class carriages.

Following the Decembrist Revolution, Party carriages were instead reserved for military officers, and later for civil servants and members of the newly-founded Socialist Party. In 1997, some routes also introduced business-class carriages, which were similar to foreign first-class service and were open to all types of travelers for a higher ticket price.

Menghe Railways streamlined the seating class system in 2003 as part of its re-branding process, aiming to unify the various status-based cars into a single tier system. This resulted in the system described below, which is used today.

High-speed rail (G)

High-speed trains (G type) offer tickets in the following four classes. All classes offer complimentary wi-fi, as well as power outlets for charging electronics. Additionally, alternating carriages in the multiple unit have either a bathroom or a garbage bin and hot water dispenser. Because the high speed of these trains leaves less time between stations, sleeper cars and premium suites are rare, with most trains featuring a combination of first class and second class carriages.

• Premium suite: Luxury car with large 2-seat compartments, each containing a fold-down bed, a desk, storage space, and a bathroom with a shower. Very rare, and only used on certain routes.
• First class seat: 2+2 seating arrangement with increased leg room between seats. The storage space for luggage, at the front and/or rear of each car, is also larger.
• Second class seat: 2+3 seating arrangement, with similar seat quality to economy class on an airplane. As on first-class cars, seats have fold-out tables and power outlets for charging electronics.
• Sleeper: Four folding beds/benches per compartment, with two on each side. There is also a table in the middle. These cars are only used on long-distance international routes, such as the Trans-Hemithea High-Speed Railway and the South Hemithea High-Speed Railway.

Intercity trains (K, D)

Intercity trains (K and D type) offer two standard classes of service, plus seating and sleeper versions for both, for a total of four common ticket types. As on high-speed rail, some trains carry premium suites with service above the first-class level, but these are not common due to reduced passenger capacity. On older rolling stock, first class carriages have air conditioning while second class carriages have fans only; second class carriages built after the mid-2010s all feature air conditioning by default, though it may be weaker.

All K-type trains and most D-type trains run on 1435mm track, but there is a single narrow-gauge intercity line (the "Mini Express") which runs from Donggyŏng to Yŏngjŏng, including night service with sleeper cars. It has the same four-class pricing scheme and roughly the same comfort level, but the seating and bunk layouts differ slightly because the train cars are physically narrower.

• Premium suite: Luxury car with 2-seat compartments, each containing a fold-down bed, a desk, storage space, and a bathroom with a shower.
• First class seat: 2+2 seating arrangement with increased leg room between seats, reclining seat backs, and fold-down tray tables, similar to second class on high-speed trains. The storage space for luggage is larger.
  • Mini Express: 1+2 seating arrangement.
• First class sleeper: 2-person compartments, each with two beds that can fold down into benches and a table in the middle, as well as a locking door which separates the compartment from the hallway. It is permitted to buy both tickets for one compartment and reserve it for oneself.
  • Mini Express: 2-person compartments, but with the bunks stacked against the wall opposite the hallway and upward-folding seats on either side.
• Second class seat: 2+3 seating arrangement with reduced space for baggage storage. Most second class seats on current rolling stock are upholstered, but some still take the form of straight-back benches, which are preferred as they allow children or additional passengers to squeeze in on packed trains. This is the preferred carriage type for low-income migrant workers traveling between the city and the countryside.
  • Mini Express: 2+2 seating arrangement, with individual seats instead of benches.
• Second class sleeper: 6-person compartments with 3 non-folding bunks per side. There are no doors separating compartments from the hallway, but each bunk has a curtain (or on newer rolling stock, a segmented plastic door that rolls up to one side) to provide privacy.
  • Mini Express: 4-person compartments with 2 non-folding bunks per side.
  • Bilevel sleeper car: 4-person compartments with 2 non-folding bunks per side.

Frequent-stop trains (Tŭ, To, W)

These trains do not have a class system. Instead, like rapid transit trains or city buses, all passengers share the same seat type. These trains also lack sleeper and diner cars, which would be redundant on a frequent-stop, short-distance, high-density route. Cars on these trains are generally designed with a relatively large amount of standing room, though not as much as rapid transit trains, to accommodate rush hour passenger levels. Air conditioning is present on all new rolling stock of this type, though some older carriages on less-traveled routes still lack it; this is not factored into ticket price.

Special carriages

Special carriages for Party members and military officers used to be a common sight on Menghean trains, as they allowed the Communist and later Socialist parties to offer privileges to higher-status personnel while maintaining the impression that money did not buy additional luxury in a socialist state. These high-status cars disappeared in the 2003 reorganization, when many of them were re-classified as first-class carriages. Nevertheless, a few types of special-purpose carriage remain.

• Barracks car: A four-bunk sleeper reserved for military personnel. Each car has storage lockers at one end, so overall passenger capacity is similar to a three-bunk second-class sleeper. These cars are added to trains at the start of the conscript training period, during the deployment of conscripts to the front, and during the call-up of reservists. Trains composed entirely of barracks cars may also be used to move military units around the country, with vehicles and other equipment on a separate train.
• Women-only sleeper compartment: Since the 1960s, sleeper trains have included a small number of women-only compartments, usually 1 to 3 per car but sometimes with all women-only compartments in a single car. Passengers must request a women-only ticket when making a purchase, and must show ID to confirm that they are female. The remaining compartments are mixed.
• Women-only car: These appeared on some To and W class trains in 2016, as part of an effort to combat groping and sexual harrassment on crowded rush hour trains.

Amenities

All G, K, D, Tŭ, To, and W3-type trains have onboard restrooms, either one per carriage or one in every other carriage. Restrooms on older trains use Hemithean-style squat toilets, but on newer trains these were replaced with sitting toilets, which offer greater stability on bumpy track and turns. Newer trains also have onboard holding tanks, while some older ones dumped waste onto the tracks in between stations. W2 (urban rapid transit) and W1 (railbus) trains do not have restrooms, so passengers must disembark and use the restroom at a station.

Most trains also have some kind of onboard catering, though this also depends on the length of the route. Where catering is present, it is available to both first-class and second-class passengers. Food trolley service typically includes fruit, packaged snacks, juice, tea, instant noodles, and light alcohol. Some long-distance routes have a restaurant car or a car with a food sale counter. All trains except W1 and W2 types have a hot water dispenser for making tea or instant noodles, and first-class carriages on newer trains also have a cold water dispenser to cater to foreign customers.

Currently, smoking is prohibited in passenger cars on all Menghean trains, and the policy is enforced with smoke detectors in bathrooms and cabins. Ignoring the law or tampering with the smoke detectors is punishable by a heavy fine, and on high-speed routes it may automatically trigger the train's emergency braking system. It was once common for Menghean trans to allow smoking in the restaurant car of non-high-speed trains, but since 2018 this has been prohibited as well.

Ticketing

High-speed (G and K)

Ticketing on high-speed and fast intercity trains works similar to ticketing on airplanes. Passengers must purchase tickets for a specific seat, and they make these purchases ahead of time. It is possible to buy tickets online, over the phone, or via the Menghe Railways app, though this requires registering under one's resident ID number, so it is only open to citizens and permanent residents. Until 2016, foreign tourists had to book their tickets through a third-party travel agency; in 2016, Menghe Railways added an option to buy tickets online with a foreign passport as identification. It is possible to purchase tickets online as little as one hour before the train's scheduled departure, though after that point one must purchase tickets at the station in person. In-person purchases also require the buyer to provide a resident ID card or foreign passport.

Starting in 2015, citizens and permanent residents have been able to use their ID card or smartphone app (with ID information) as a substitute for a physical ticket on G and K type trains. Because tickets are linked with one's ID number for security purposes and the Menghe Railways ticketing database links ID numbers, tickets, and seats, either of these can substitue for a ticket at the gate check and aboard the train. It is not necessary for security staff and on-board conductors to visually check the card or app, as ID cards produced after 2004 have built-in MIFARE chips for non-contact reading. Individuals without ID cards or smartphone apps must retrieve a physical paper ticket from the station using the confirmation number from their online purchase.

Passengers with these ticket types wait in the main station building until their train is approaching the station. The platform opens to passengers 15-20 minutes before the train's scheduled departure. In order to enter the platform, passengers must pass through automated ticket-check gates, which can read paper tickets, smartphones, and ID cards. A conductor also performs ticket checks once passengers have boarded.

G and K type high-speed trains do not allow passengers to buy "non-seat" tickets; every passenger aboard the train must have a seat, except for children below the age of 5. During peak travel periods, such as the New Year vacation, some routes sell a limited number of "waiting line" tickets; passengers with these tickets are not guaranteed a seat on their train, but will be allowed to board if another passenger cancels their trip or does not show up. If unable to board, waiting line passengers can board the next train with empty seats on that route.

Express (D and Tŭ)

D and Tŭ trains use a mix of pre-purchased tickets and automatic tickets (described below). Passengers have the option of purchasing tickets ahead of time, either by phone, over the app, on the Menghe Railways website, or at the station's ticket desk and ticket machines. This is the only way to get tickets for premium-class seats, first-class seats, and sleeper cars. It is also the only way to get a reserved seat. As with high-speed trains, remote purchases are possible up to one hour before departure, but in-person tickets are still possible until five minutes before departure (when the platform gate is closed at major stations).

Unlike G and K trains, which require that all passengers have a seat assigned when passing through the gate to the platform, D and Tŭ trains also sell "non-seat tickets" (좌석 없는 표, jwasŏk ŏbnŭn pyo). These allow the holder to board the train, but do not entitle the holder to a seat. They are equivalent in value to a second-class seat, and allow the holder to occupy a second-class seat if one is available, but the passenger must vacate the seat if another passenger with that seat reserved boards the train. Some stations enforce an informal limit on the number of non-seat passengers allowed to board a train, to limit crowding and improve safety.

D and Tŭ trains also differ from G and K trains in that they allow passengers to swipe on and off using card readers at the carriage doors, as described in the section on stopping trains below. By default, swiping on entitles the passenger to a second-class non-seat ticket, meaning that card-swiping passengers can sit in a second-class seat if one is available but must vacate it if the passenger with a ticket to that seat boards.

Stopping trains (To, W)

Originally, To-type and all W-type trains used paper tickets, which are sold at stations through a ticketing desk or an automated machine. These tickets do not correspond to a specific train or seat, but allow the passenger to ride any train going between the start and end stations for a 12-hour period. This allows prolonged stops at individual stations, as long as the passenger does not reverse direction. On To, and W3 trains, a conductor makes regular ticket checks; ticket checks are less common on W2 trains, but the fines are much higher. On W1 railbuses, passengers show the ticket to the driver when boarding, or run it through an automatic ticket-check machine.

To and W trains have supplemented the paper tickets with an e-ticketing system. Card readers are installed next to the train doors, allowing passengers to swipe their phones or transit cards as they board. Passengers swipe again when they disembark, and the ticketing system automatically deducts a fare from their account based on the distance between stations. One minute after the train starts moving, card readers are switched off, to prevent accidental swiping. If passengers forget to swipe out, the fare ceiling for the route is deducted; there are also backup card readers on platforms for passengers who forget. Because there is no flat boarding fee, passengers who disembark and embark on a later train, or who transfer between trains, do not pay a higher fare than those who take a direct route (apart from rounding). Card-reading trains also charge the same fee regardless of train type (Tŭ, To, W1-3). When train conductors carry out ticket checks, they use a handheld scanner to check that passengers' cards or smartphones show a ride in progress. In February 2020, Menghe Railways announced that all trains have been equipped with card and phone readers, which were introduced more slowly on rural routes.

Currently (June 2020), the following cards and apps are accepted. Passengers must be careful not to swipe multiple devices at once, as this may result in an error or a charge on both accounts. Devices linked to the same account (e.g., a OneStop phone and OneStop card) cannot be swiped twice on one ride, but devices linked to different accounts (e.g., a OneStop card and a Menghe Railways card) can both be swiped to pay for a companion.

• Menghe Railways ticketing app (also used for ticket purchases)
• OneStop universal transit app
• Menghe Railways smart card
• OneStop smart card
• OneStop prepaid tourist card
• Resident ID card (post-2004 version)

See also

• Rail transport in Menghe
• High-speed rail in Menghe
• Transportation in Donggyong