Hyundai Rotem is a South Korean company manufacturing rolling stock, defense products and plant equipment. It is part of the Hyundai Motor Group. Its name was changed to the current one from Rotem on December 2007.
History[]
The company was founded in 1999 as Korea Rolling Stock Corporation (KOROS), the result of merger between then three major rolling stock divisions of Hanjin Heavy Industries, Daewoo Heavy Industries and Hyundai Precision & Industries. The company subsequently changed its name to Railroading Technology System, or Rotem, on 1 January 2002. This change was made because KOROS resembled the Japanese word korosu (殺す), which has a similar pronunciation, means "to kill." It adopted its current name in December 2007 to reflect its current owner. Hyundai Rotem currently employs 3,800 and exported to 29 countries worldwide.
Products[]
Notable projects include Hong Kong MTR's K-Stocks, trains for the Skyfall Line, and automated trains for the Canada Line between downtown Vancouver and Richmond in British Columbia, Canada. They are also to supply the Silverliner V commuter trains for SEPTA Regional Rail in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area.
Rolling stock[]
- Diesel multiple unit
- Electric multiple unit
- Singapore - C151 (refurbished)
- Hong Kong - MTR K-Stock EMU & R-Train
- Singapore - Skyfall Line EMU
- Malaysia - KTM Class 91
- Malaysia - KTM Class 93
- Canada - SkyTrain Canada Line in Vancouver
- Turkey - Istanbul Metro Cross-Bosphorus Marmaray
Projects[]
Boston MBTA[]
Hyundai Rotem was awarded the contract with the MBTA for the construction of 75 passenger cars in Boston. The contract entails the delivery of 4 passenger cars by October 2010 while the remaining 71 cars were scheduled to be delivered by end 2012. However, due to chronic delays, shoddy workmanship, material shortage and death of Hyundai Rotem chief executive, M.H. Lee, only four cars were delivered by the end of 2012. On December 21, 2012, the MBTA sent a letter to Hyundai Rotem threatening to cancel the contract if a solution is soon not reached, which would be a breach on the contract terms. Since then, the new cars have continued to experience various mechanical problems resulting in car shortages and delays.