[Courtesy of Hyundai Rotem]
SEOUL -- As part of a state project to modernize the operation of railways with wireless communication, Hyundai Rotem, a subsidiary of South Koreas Hyundai auto group, will test-operate an integrated signal system on an uncrowded rural route. The system allows real-time control of trains using a 4G communication network.
Hyundai Rotem said it has secured an order from Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) to apply KTCS-2 (Korea Train Control System 2) on a trial basis to a 180 kilometer (112 mile) section between Iksan and the southern port city of Yeosu in South Jeolla Province. It is aimed at verifying the stability and compatibility of the new train signal system for full commercialization.
South Korea's railway signal systems are not compatible with each other due to different signal systems. High-speed trains had to install additional devices to operate on regular or freight routes. The train's location can be checked by a signal device installed on the track, so information on the train could only be delivered through the control center.
KTCS-2 would standardize South Korea's railway signal system on various routes without having to install new devices. It would improve operational efficiency because trains can communicate with the control tower in real-time and respond quickly to emergency situations. The new system has obtained the highest level of safety integrity from Germany's TUV-SUD, an international safety evaluation agency.
"We will do our best to ensure that the pilot operation of KTCS-2 will be successfully carried out with an optimized signal system," an unnamed Hyundai Rotem official said in a statement on December 16. Hyundai Rotem plans to develop an automatic operation system for high-speed railways by the end of this year using KTCS-3, a complete wireless signal system.
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