Hyundai Rotem unveils next-generation high-speed rail design at InnoTrans 2026

Hyundai Motor and Hyundai Rotem have jointly designed a next-generation domestic high-speed rail vehicle, making its public debut this week. The exterior draws on biomimetic principles to reduce aerodynamic drag, while the cabin has been redesigned around passenger movement. The companies are also showcasing a hydrogen-electric tram capable of AI-driven autonomous operation.

Hyundai Rotem announced Wednesday that it is participating in InnoTrans 2026 — the 15th International Trade Fair for Transport Technology — being held in Berlin, Germany, from Tuesday through Friday (local time).

InnoTrans, launched in 1996 and held every two years, is the world's largest rail industry exhibition. The previous edition in 2024 drew roughly 2,900 companies from 59 countries and attracted more than 169,000 visitors.

The centerpiece of this year's showing is the first public unveiling of the next-generation high-speed rail concept model.

Hyundai Rotem partnered with the Hyundai Design Center at Hyundai Motor Group's Namyang Research and Development Center to redesign the vehicle from exterior to cabin. While conventional rolling stock has prioritized functional metrics such as speed and passenger capacity, the next-generation model incorporates user experience — the feel a passenger gets while actually riding — into the design process, much as automakers do.

The exterior applies a biomimetic aerodynamic design, drawing inspiration from organisms that have evolved to withstand air and water resistance, in order to reduce drag at high speeds.

The design goes beyond a futuristic appearance: engineers refined the aerodynamic performance to account for pressure fluctuations that occur when a high-speed train enters a tunnel or passes an oncoming train.

The interior incorporates Korea's distinctive aesthetic of restrained elegance and curved lines. Seating and interior fittings were positioned based on analysis of passenger movements — sitting, standing and walking through the aisle — applying an ergonomic layout throughout.

The cross-sectional structure of the cabin was also reworked, with a focus on making more efficient use of the limited interior space, including wider legroom at seats and expanded overhead luggage storage.

South Korea's latest domestically operated high-speed train will also appear on the European stage. Hyundai Rotem will display a physical unit of the EMU-320 — a distributed-power high-speed vehicle with a top operating speed of 320 kilometers per hour — in the outdoor exhibition area. The EMU-320 is the platform underlying the KTX-Cheongnyong currently in service in South Korea.

Unlike the conventional approach of concentrating power in a single locomotive, the distributed-power system spreads traction units across multiple cars. This improves acceleration and braking performance while freeing up space previously occupied by the locomotive for additional passenger seating.

Alongside the high-speed rail exhibits, Hyundai Rotem is presenting physical AI technology — systems in which AI directly assesses and controls the movement of an actual vehicle.

A scale model of a hydrogen-electric tram equipped with physical AI-based autonomous driving technology will be on display, demonstrating how AI can be integrated across the entire operating cycle — from pre-departure vehicle inspection and autonomous operation to maintenance.

For example, if AI-enabled closed-circuit cameras inside the tram detect unusual passenger behavior or an unexpected situation, they send an alert to the control system, which immediately analyzes the incoming data and provides guidance on the appropriate response.

Autonomous operation is more technically demanding for trams than for conventional rail. Unlike subways or high-speed trains that run on tracks separated from other traffic, trams share road space with cars, bicycles and pedestrians.

Hyundai Rotem has applied to its tram an advanced driver assistance system for rolling stock that the company completed developing this year. The system uses cameras and sensors to detect people and structures near the track and assess potentially dangerous collision scenarios.

Building on this foundation, the company plans to continue developing the technology with the long-term goal of commercializing fully autonomous hydrogen-electric tram operation with minimal driver intervention.

A range of hydrogen-powered rolling stock will also be on display, including a hydrogen fuel cell module, a hydrogen-electric locomotive, a hydrogen-electric power car and a low-floor hydrogen-electric multiple unit, collectively showcasing the company's hydrogen mobility technology.

"The global rail market is increasingly evaluating not just a manufacturer's design and production capabilities, but also the sustainability of its business and its autonomous driving capabilities all at once," a Hyundai Rotem official said. "Through our next-generation high-speed vehicle and autonomous driving technology, we aim to set the standard for where rail should be headed."

Meanwhile, Hyundai Rotem is also expanding its technology cooperation with Hyundai Motor in the aerospace sector, separate from its rail business. On Tuesday, the two companies signed an MOU to apply Hyundai Motor's AI-based smart factory technology to Hyundai Rotem's aerospace manufacturing facility, which produces ducted ramjet, hypersonic and methane engines.

Hyundai Rotem has continued to win orders in overseas rail markets, including a contract signed this year to supply 32 light rail transit trainsets to Edmonton, Canada, worth approximately 320 billion won ($231 million).