The Seoul Metropolitan Council's Transportation Committee (Chairman Park Jung-hwa) has begun on-site visits to companies supplying electric trains to Seoul Metro.
In particular, the Transportation Committee appears to intend to assess the technical capabilities and reliability of the suppliers through on-site visits, as the safety of Seoul Metro electric trains, which serve as the transportation means for Seoul citizens and 20 million people in the metropolitan area, is the most important factor.
The Seoul Metropolitan Council's Transportation Committee (Chairman Park Jung-hwa, People Power Party, Seongdong 1) conducted an on-site inspection on the 17th at the Ansan factory of Dawonsys in Gyeonggi Province, which manufactures and supplies electric trains and electronic components to Seoul Metro, to check the stable management and inspection status of subway electric trains, which are the transportation means for citizens, during the recess of the 316th extraordinary session.
Electronic components are devices powered by electricity, and electronic components for electric trains include propulsion control devices, auxiliary power units, signaling devices, and air conditioning units.
The on-site inspection proceeded with a detailed review of the specifications and propulsion status of subway electric train facilities, current plans, and a close examination of the manufacturing sites of electronic components such as propulsion control devices (inverters), passenger compartment air conditioning units, and air quality improvement devices.
So far, the Transportation Committee has continuously raised concerns about the operation of related facilities following the replacement of aging electric trains by Seoul Metro, and this recent on-site inspection was conducted more comprehensively and in-depth regarding the entire project.
Through on-site Q&A, the Transportation Committee members discussed the inspection and maintenance procedures of electric trains, ways to optimize the operation of electronic components such as propulsion control inverters and air conditioners, and whether improvements are needed for compatibility with existing electric trains. They also urged thorough inspection and maintenance of electronic components to ensure the safety of Seoul citizens using the subway.
A Transportation Committee official stated, "Dawonsys is a company that manufactures electronic components for electric trains and also produces various other products, so we could somewhat assess its reliability."
Chairman Park Jung-hwa of the Transportation Committee said, "Through this on-site visit, we were able to directly observe the manufacturing and inspection processes of electronic components for electric trains." He added, "Electronic components based on power electronics technology are a crucial core for electric trains as urban public transportation, so the Transportation Committee will continue to monitor from manufacturing, inspection, test operation, delivery, to actual operation with sustained interest."
The Transportation Committee is also known to plan visits to the other two major electric train manufacturers, Woojin Industrial Systems and the large corporation Hyundai Rotem, following Dawonsys.
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