Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Forms and Operates Railway Disaster Response Team
Resumption of High-Speed Line Operation After Emergency Measures
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 13th that it has resumed operation of the high-speed line after completing emergency measures such as facility inspections in response to the fire at the Daejeon Hankook Tire factory that occurred the previous day.
According to the Ministry, due to the fire at the Daejeon Hankook Tire factory on the 12th, some sections of the Gyeongbu high-speed line trains traveling in both directions were rerouted via the conventional line. The ministry inspected nearby facilities such as tracks and overhead lines for damage caused by fire dust and heat, and completed emergency measures.
The fire, which broke out at around 10:09 PM the previous day at the Hankook Tire Daejeon factory in Daedeok-gu, Daejeon, continued until the morning of the 13th. One firefighter and 11 workers were injured due to smoke inhalation and were transported to hospitals. As a result of this incident, highway and railway traffic passing through this section was suspended, and train operations such as SRT and KTX were only resumed in the early morning of the day.
Additionally, the Ministry plans to form and operate a railway disaster response team until safety inspections of facilities are completed and trains operate normally. The response team will operate at a caution level according to the high-speed railway major accident crisis response manual.
Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong instructed, "Thoroughly inspect the tracks, overhead lines, and vehicles, and immediately implement all necessary measures to fundamentally prevent safety issues. Do not relax vigilance until train operations return to normal." He also directed, "Ensure thorough guidance through websites and apps to minimize passenger inconvenience caused by train schedule adjustments and changes in stopping stations."
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