LG Display, a leading innovator of display technologies, has supplied transparent OLED displays to a train for the first time in Korea. They have been installed on the country’s newly launched Great Train eXpress (GTX).
As one of the world’s fastest underground rail services, operating at approximately three times the speed of conventional subway trains, GTX connects major hubs in Seoul with the greater metropolitan area.
Smart onboard experience
LG Display’s groundbreaking 55-inch Transparent OLEDs, installed as GTX-A cabin windows, are expected to create a comfortable and smart onboard experience by displaying varied content such as the route map, announcements, and other convenient information.
In particular, the crisp, large-sized displays provide new customer experiences for passengers, from increased visibility for easier access to information to a variety of entertainment options for long journeys. Unlike ordinary displays, Transparent OLEDs used as train windows can function like conventional glass to provide a sense of open space and increased safety by being able to check outside in emergency situations.
Special tempered glass has been used to make the Transparent OLEDs more resistant to shocks and vibrations compared to the past so that they can operate stably even on trains running at speeds of more than 150 kph, and they have passed the standard Korean railway test. LG Display and SG Rail, GTX-A’s project operator, have initially introduced and piloted 16 Transparent OLEDs on a train made up of eight cars running on the inaugural GTX line between Suseo and Dongtan. Going forward, they plan to install Transparent OLED panels across all of the trains servicing the GTX-A line after collecting feedback from passengers.
Impressive track record
LG Display’s Transparent OLED track record on railways since 2020 includes subway systems in major Chinese cities such as Beijing, Fuzhou, and Shenzhen, as well as JR East services in Japan.
The company’s Transparent OLED is the world’s only technology of its kind that has reached mass-production capabilities while maximising the advantages of OLED’s self-emissive pixels. It has been actively adopted in various areas such as retail, signage, architecture, and mobility because it generates less heat than traditional LEDs, making it ideal for indoor use and transparent enough to replace glass windows while remaining thin and light.
“Through collaboration with a wide variety of different industries, we will continue to create new markets based on the innovative customer experience that only Transparent OLEDs can provide,” said an official from LG Display.