The National Railway Corporation will conduct special inspections of 60 equipment vehicles operating at 20 railway construction sites across the country. This initiative aims to assess the operational and management status of the equipment and the qualifications of the operators, as well as to verify whether issues identified during inspections in the first half of the year have been addressed.
According to the National Railway Corporation on October 12, the Facilities and Equipment Office will inspect the operational status of track and catenary construction equipment from October 13 to 23. The inspection will include equipment vehicles used at 20 railway construction sites nationwide, including the Incheon KTX direct track construction.
The inspection will focus on the operational and management status of the equipment vehicles, compliance with railway safety management systems by equipment users, and the appropriateness of the qualifications of the equipment operators. The inspection will also prioritize reviewing the improvements made on issues identified during the operational status checks in the first half of the year.
The scope of the inspection has been expanded compared to similar checks in the past. A special inspection conducted by the National Railway Corporation in March of last year, prior to the thawing period, involved 41 equipment vehicles at 18 railway construction sites. This time, the number of sites has increased by two, and the number of inspected equipment vehicles has risen to 60, marking an increase of 19 vehicles, or approximately 46%.
To prevent accidents that may occur in operational sections and to avoid the recurrence of similar incidents, the corporation will share recent accident cases with construction managers, contractors, and equipment operators. Safety training tailored to the characteristics of each site, as well as education on daily inspections and management methods for the equipment, will also be conducted.
Earlier this year, from April to June, the corporation carried out focused safety inspections at a total of 160 locations, including 120 railway facilities and 40 construction sites. During that time, risks were assessed using drones and thermal imaging cameras, particularly targeting aging bridges, tunnels, and vulnerable facilities at construction sites.
Jeong Yeon, head of the Facilities and Equipment Office at the National Railway Corporation, stated, "Through this special inspection, we aim to eliminate potential risks associated with equipment vehicles and enhance the safety management level at railway construction sites. We will also maintain an emergency maintenance system known as Happy Call at all times."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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