Integrated High-Speed Railway Undergoes Comprehensive Safety Review Ahead of Its First Chuseok Holiday... MOLIT Holds Inspection Meeting

[Financial News] The integrated high-speed railway, newly launched through the integration of KORAIL and SR Corporation, will undergo a comprehensive safety-management review ahead of its first Chuseok holiday.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) said on the 18th that it would hold a high-speed railway safety-management inspection meeting at Suseo Station to review Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL)'s overall high-speed railway driver-training programs, as well as measures to strengthen crowd-congestion and security management on the railway during the Chuseok holiday.
The meeting was arranged as a follow-up to three on-site inspections conducted during the high-speed railway integration process. MOLIT has previously reviewed the overall safety-management systems for rolling stock, facilities, and train crews in preparation for KTX-SRT cross-operation, coupled operation, and the integration of KORAIL and SR Corporation. At this meeting, it will verify KORAIL's performance and implementation status.
MOLIT will review the status of securing high-speed railway drivers in preparation for an increase in the number of train services under integrated operations. It will also examine the status of onboard driving instruction provided by experienced drivers to enhance drivers' operational expertise. In addition, the ministry will assess improvements to training programs that enable train crews to respond quickly and appropriately to unusual situations, along with whether necessary supplementary measures for rolling stock, facilities, signaling, and communications have been implemented.
The meeting will also review crowd-control and security measures in preparation for an increase in railway passengers during the Chuseok holiday. At major stations expected to experience heavy congestion, including Seoul Station, Suseo Station, and Busan Station, the authorities will confirm measures to maintain order, such as deploying additional KORAIL safety personnel and separating passenger flows for boarding and alighting. Railway police will also be deployed in greater numbers to vulnerable areas, including escalators and transfer corridors, where concerns about crimes such as theft and sexual harassment are high. The authorities will further review an AI CCTV monitoring system designed to address blind spots in patrol coverage.
A MOLIT official said, "For the integration of the high-speed railway to lead to benefits that people can feel, it must be firmly supported by safety." The official added, "We will regularly review the progress of institutional improvements so that KORAIL can establish a system to continuously secure and maintain the expertise of railway workers, including drivers and train crews." The official also urged, "As large numbers of passengers are expected during Chuseok, the first holiday since the integration, please make thorough preparations for crowd management at congested stations and transportation measures."
[email protected] Jung Kyung-soo Reporter