The Seoulllll e-Traaaaain!

Ok, it's only a temporary gig but check out the "Sens e-train" offered to Seoul's subway jockeys over the next few days. The kids at Samsung and Korea Telecoms have fitted two cars from Seoul's number 2 line train with a dozen WiBro-enabled Samsung Q45 laptops and Q1 Ultra UMPCs. The hippest trip in S.Korea is operational (and free) from 1100 to 1700 daily until August 19th. We're just wondering what's more impressive: high-speed data while blasting along the underground rails or the lack of any visible organic excretions in a subway car. Either way, there's no chance in hell of this working in New York City.

[David @ Aug 13th 2007 4:27AM]

I live in Seoul and line 2 is the busiest subway line. I want to see this but I doubt I could ever find one of these trains simply because so many trains run on this line. That said, for the next few days I will be taking this subway line rather than the bus just in case.

[ecorn @ Aug 13th 2007 4:52AM]

There was a newspaper article about this a couple days ago. I think the only reason they can pull it off is because the laptops are only available during non rush hour times. Line number two is completely packed in the early morning and after 5:30 p.m. As for the "lack of any visible organic excretions," Seoul's subway system is second-to-none in clenthliness. There are actually women who are paid to walk up and down the trains all day long with brooms and dustpans.

[felix @ Aug 13th 2007 5:12AM]

The Tsukuba Express line running between Ibaraki and Akihabara has had wifi-enabled trains for quite some time now. Service isn't free, but it's provided through DoCoMo, which offers numerous other hotspots throughout Tokyo under the same service. It's not WiBro, but it still counts as broadband connectivity inside public transportation.

[Bad Beaver @ Aug 13th 2007 5:37AM]

Only in Korea. The mere idea that a subway car could be a place one actually wants to be and stay in appears delusional from about every other perspective imaginable.

[lettcco @ Aug 13th 2007 6:26AM]

"...organic excretions in a subway car. Either way, there's no chance in hell of this working in New York City."

yeah, different people have different idea about the term, "login and log-out".

[frank @ Aug 13th 2007 7:31AM]

Hey, if we're gonna play My Subway Is Nastier Than Yours, I'll take most of the NYC trains over Chicago's any day. The gray/L train is like five-star accommodations compared to the Blue Line.

[Phillip Lamb @ Aug 13th 2007 10:50AM]

>Hey, if we're gonna play My Subway Is Nastier Than Yours, I'll take most of the NYC trains over Chicago's any day. The gray/L train is like five-star accommodations compared to the Blue Line.


I've lived in both Chicago and New York; comparing the Blue Line to the L or the 4/5/6 tells me you've probably only visited Chicago for business (i.e., Blue Line from O'Hare to downtown and then take a taxi). The L and 4/5/6 trains are brand-spankin' new and are going to look a lot cleaner. The Blue Line in Chicago is a bad example - try taking the Red, Yellow, Orange, Green, Brown or (most definitely) Purple lines and you'll see that Chicago's trains are far cleaner.

To be fair (haha, pun!), Chicago doesn't handle nearly as many rail passengers as NYC.

[Wardell Latham @ Aug 16th 2007 10:32AM]

I have to agree with frank. I stepped in a puddle something translucent and slimy on the green line last week (shudders) I don't even want to know what it was, the trains in NewYork are made in such a way that they could easily just be hosed down, open spaces not a whole lot of seats.

[Terence @ Aug 13th 2007 8:35AM]

You think yours is bad, try the british rail. Livestock gets kared around in better conditions. Forget wifi on that Korean train, most brits would kill for atrain with THAT much room in it and that clean!

[quahogian @ Aug 13th 2007 9:24AM]

NYC subway is very functional, it has its moments and sometimes too many (like MTA can't handle rain for shit), but overall it works and 24/7. Cleanliness becomes an issue sometimes, but it's avoidable most of the time.

[John @ Aug 13th 2007 9:34AM]

This is pretty cool. We ran an episode a few weeks ago pitching other ways to retro fit a commuter train.
http://www.ampolo.com/archives/72

Including Movie, Dating and reading...

[JackSeoul @ Aug 13th 2007 9:35AM]

Hi, I'm posting this from Seoul Subway line 7. I'm on SK Telecom's HSDPA network so it's only about 2mbps but as opposed to WiBro it already works pretty much everywhere you can go in Korea. Works great at 300km/h on the KTX high speed train.

[Paul @ Aug 13th 2007 11:01AM]

I'm gonna try to look for this. I've been riding the #2 line everyday since I've been here.

[Elaine @ Aug 13th 2007 11:28AM]

To be honest, New York would be way too paranoid because of terrorist attacks to install WiFi systems on their trains..

[roach @ Aug 13th 2007 1:07PM]

This is just something else to get wet and brake in the NYC subway system.
And people would rob these things in like four seconds whatever mounting system this was on.

[Kal-El @ Aug 13th 2007 4:48PM]

I don't see why the NYC subway is so bad, i've actually been to NYC and stayed for a week, using nothing but the subway and buses to travel and they seem pretty clean to me.

[BigD @ Aug 13th 2007 8:48PM]

I rode this the other day. I was on my way from visiting the "W Style Shop" Wibro cafe in Shinchon (on the 2 line). I saw the signs telling the times that it ran, and I let one train pass before hopping on. I had no real idea of what to expect, but the sign said "e-train" and was sponsored by Samsung and Intel, so I figured it was worth a look. Everybody was getting busy, so I smugly pulled out my LG C1 tablet and started surfing (albeit using HSDPA) while everyone else lined up for their chance with the WiBro units. I was the only one rocking LG products on the Samsung train.

Nice.

I get my WiBro PDA tomorrow...so I'll be enjoying the good life (with unlimited Data) soon enough.

[david @ Aug 14th 2007 4:05AM]

lucky lucky you. i wish this kinda thing was available here down under (probably neverrr)...

[kev @ Sep 29th 2007 10:38PM]

Asia has the best transport because their workers take shit seriously (as in down to the second. The MTA can't even fucking get all the trains running to the correct minute, or even 4 minutes off the schedule for that matter) and the people aren't fucking rude like they are in pretty much the rest of the world.