Wait, Yongin Light Rail Has No Driver?

Hey, it's Yongi. Today I want to talk about something a little different. Have you ever ridden that quiet train that runs through downtown Yongin — Yongin Light Rail? Every time I ride it, I still find it kind of amazing, because this train has no driver. No one's steering it, and yet it starts, stops, and moves again with perfect precision. The first time I realized that, I couldn't take my eyes off the front window for the longest time. Even the people sitting next to me always seem to have that same amazed look on their face. So today, let's take a slow, fun look at this curious little transit line.

A Train That Runs With No One at the Wheel

Yongin Light Rail is known to run on a driverless, fully automated system. Even if you peek into the driver's cabin, there's no one there. Instead, the front window gives you a clear, unobstructed view straight down the tracks. That's probably why first-time riders always rush to grab the very front seat — with no driver's seat in the way, that spot becomes a special one where you face the tracks head-on. I remember doing exactly that as a kid, sitting up front and watching the tracks roll toward me for the longest time. Every time it takes a curve, the train seems to adjust its own speed, almost like it's alive. And whenever I bring friends along, they're skeptical at first — until they see it stop and start with perfect precision, and then they're just as amazed as I was.

Isn't it kind of amazing, when you think about it? Trusting a ride even though no one's actually steering it. That's probably part of why this train has naturally become part of how people get around Yongin. Every time I see it, it makes me think Yongin is quietly a step ahead. There's something almost surprising about how a fairly advanced bit of technology is quietly tucked inside this unassuming, quiet train. Maybe that's why riding it always leaves me with a strangely reassured feeling.

From Giheung Station to Jeondae and Everland

Yongin Light Rail is said to connect the Giheung Station direction with the Jeondae and Everland direction. So with this one train, you can travel from around Giheung Station all the way toward Jeondae or Everland. I think that's exactly why it's the ride people reach for without thinking when getting around Yongin — it reliably links those two directions together. Every time I look at its route, it makes me realize Yongin is more tightly connected than it might seem.

Personally, whenever I hear this route described, I picture all the different sides of Yongin layered on top of each other. The Giheung Station side feels like a busy, everyday kind of neighborhood, while the Jeondae and Everland direction carries a completely different mood. Having such different faces strung together along one line feels like it captures Yongin pretty well. Watching the scenery outside the window shift little by little is part of the fun — sometimes I'll just ride it to the end with no destination in mind, just to watch it change. Come to think of it, this train's been quietly running through Yongin for a good long while now. You might pass by it every day without giving it much thought, but it turns out to be a surprisingly old neighbor.

Another Name, Another Face: Everline

A train that's been running for that long, it turns out, doesn't even go by just one name. Yongin Light Rail is also known by another name — Everline. Some people call it Yongin Light Rail, others call it Everline, and it's the same train either way. I actually find it kind of fun that both names are used side by side. One carries the region's own name, Yongin, while the other feels more like a nickname for the train itself. Whichever name someone uses, they're pointing at the exact same train — and now that I know both, I can nod along happily no matter which one comes up.

Whatever you call it, in the end this train does just one job: quietly and precisely carrying people around downtown Yongin. I think that's its real charm. It doesn't make a big fuss about itself, but it shows up and does its part every single day — which honestly feels a lot like Yongin itself. Next time you happen to catch this story in the back of your mind while riding it, maybe it'll feel just a little bit different.

🐉 A Mood Photo, via Yongi