[Exclusive] MOLIT to Significantly Reduce Deadly Routine Work... New Standards to Be Set Within a Month

Initiating Railway Safety Measures to Prevent Fatal Accidents
Reducing Human Error and Strengthening Equipment Inspections
"Dual Structure of KORAIL and Korea National Railway Causes Management Confusion"
Union: "Switching to Nighttime Work

Following the accident in Cheongdo County, North Gyeongsang Province, where a Mugunghwa train struck seven track inspection workers, resulting in two fatalities, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has begun formulating measures to prevent recurrence. The ministry plans to significantly reduce "routine work" conducted while trains are operating, and to establish new standards within a month, including a nationwide railway inspection and the introduction of an artificial intelligence (AI) monitoring system.

Reducing Human Error and Conducting Equipment Inspections and Comprehensive Trackbed Surveys

On the 20th, a train monitor was waiting to begin a joint investigation with related agencies into the train accident that occurred the previous day near the Gyeongbu Line railroad close to Cheongdo Bullfighting Stadium in Samsin-ri, Hwayang-eup, Cheongdo-gun, Gyeongbuk Province. Photo by Yonhap News

According to relevant ministries on the 24th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is reviewing ways to reduce the scope of routine work conducted on tracks where trains are in operation, and to convert some of these tasks to "block work," which is performed only after train operations are suspended. When it is unavoidable to maintain routine work, the ministry is also discussing mandatory supplementary measures, such as securing evacuation spaces next to the tracks or clearing surrounding vegetation to improve visibility. Routine work refers to track maintenance performed while trains are running.

An official from the ministry stated, "We plan to establish reduction standards to lower the risks of routine work and to begin technical reviews. However, if the standards are set too strictly, it may make train operations themselves difficult, so coordination with Korail is necessary." He added, "Based on the findings, after several rounds of consultations, we expect to announce recurrence prevention measures within a month." After the fatal accident at Miryang Station in 2019, Korail converted sleeper replacement and ballast tamping conducted within 2 meters of the track to block work, requiring trains to stop before such work could proceed. However, routine work continued in areas beyond 2 meters from the track.

The ministry also plans to address equipment aging and site conditions. All equipment will be inspected to prepare for potential malfunctions or aging, and measures will be taken to clear vegetation near tracks to secure visibility and to create evacuation spaces.

A comprehensive inspection of approximately 4,800 km of railway, excluding urban railways from the total 5,400 km network, is also under consideration. A ministry official said, "If the inspection reveals risk factors exceeding certain standards, we plan to respond by upgrading the trackbed condition."

The ministry will move away from relying solely on workers' concentration for safety management and will expand the use of advanced technologies. AI-based automated equipment and Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring systems will be introduced to reduce human error. Due to budget constraints, phased implementation is being considered.

"Separation of the Railway Authority and Korail Has Created Safety Gaps"

On the 22nd, at Daenam Hospital Funeral Hall in Cheongdo County, Gyeongbuk, the funeral ceremony was held for Lee Mo (37), who died in the Gyeongbu Line train accident on the 19th. Family members and acquaintances are mourning. Photo by Yonhap News

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has announced recurrence prevention measures after every accident. It has repeatedly introduced measures such as specifying work plans, digitizing risk areas, and strengthening safety inspections. Since 2013, a surcharge system has been in place, imposing an additional 300 million won per fatality and 900 million won per serious accident on track usage fees.

However, similar types of tragedies have continued to occur. There are calls to identify whether the cause is insufficient regulations or conditions that make compliance difficult.

A study commissioned by the ministry to Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in 2023 also revealed structural issues. Under the Framework Act on the Development of the Railway Industry, maintenance is handled by Korail, while improvement projects are managed by the National Railway Authority, creating a dual structure that has widened safety management gaps.

Cheongdo Accident Workers Entered with Routine Work Authorization

At around 10:45 AM on the 19th, workers were seen moving near the Gyeongbu Line railroad close to Cheongdo Bullfighting Stadium in Samsinri, Hwayang-eup, Cheongdo-gun, Gyeongbuk. Shortly after this scene was captured, a Mugunghwa train struck seven workers who were working near the tracks, resulting in two deaths and five serious injuries. Photo provided by a reader · Yonhap News Agency

On the 20th, a joint investigation by related agencies is underway near the Gyeongbu Line railroad close to Cheongdo Bullfighting Stadium in Samsin-ri, Hwayang-eup, Cheongdo-gun, Gyeongbuk, regarding the train accident that occurred the previous day. Photo by Yonhap News

At the time of the accident, the workers had received authorization for routine work in accordance with the "Detailed Regulations for Work Affecting Train Operations." Their purpose was to inspect for retaining wall damage caused by heavy rain. Although the task was classified as routine work because it was not directly related to the track itself, accessing the retaining wall required them to move along the track, exposing them to danger.

A regulatory gap was also identified. Korail sent a supervisory employee to the site on the day of the accident, but was unaware that the subcontractor had deployed two substitute workers not listed in the work plan. The work plan itself was only submitted after the accident. Korail maintains that it is not obligated to check every work plan, and in fact, current laws do not require the contracting entity to verify subcontractor work plans.

This shifting of responsibility has been repeated. In last year's fatal accident at Guro Station, bereaved families and the railway union protested, saying, "The government shifted responsibility to the field in its interim investigation report by stating that adjacent track train information was not checked," and called this "an interpretation that ignores reality." Workers had neither the authority to block adjacent tracks nor procedures to request such action.

Railway Union: "Staff Reductions and Outsourcing of Risk Are the Causes"

Passengers are moving under banners hung inside Seoul Station on the 23rd, calling for a complete halt to train operations before work and demanding fundamental railway safety measures. Provided by the Railway Union

At around 10:52 AM on the 19th, a Mugunghwa train departing from Dongdaegu Station struck seven workers moving for track inspection on the Gyeongbu Line in Cheongdo County. Two people died and five were injured. The Mugunghwa train travels at 100 km/h, covering 30 meters per second. By the time a worker hears the sound from behind and turns their head, the collision would already be over.

The police are analyzing signal and brake device records, locomotive black box data, and station staff communication logs submitted by Korail to determine the cause of the accident. The Ministry of Employment and Labor, which oversees serious industrial accidents, is also conducting a separate investigation to clarify the cause. The Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is participating in the on-site investigation, but is focusing more on recurrence prevention measures than on identifying the cause.

Meanwhile, the railway union has begun an indefinite sit-in at Seoul Station, calling the incident "a tragedy caused by deadly routine work." The union is demanding a complete ban on work during train operations, the formation of a labor-management-government safety council, restoration of reduced staff, and an end to the outsourcing of risk.

Kang Chul, head of the railway union, stated, "Switching to night work is the most realistic solution, but management refuses to implement it due to staffing burdens." He added, "Every year, two people die on the tracks in the railway sector. During the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, more than 1,400 staff were cut. People are safety itself, but staff reductions and outsourcing of risk have led to deaths."