On August 29, a worker from Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) was killed after being struck by a train while working at Uiwang Station in Gyeonggi Province. It has been confirmed that a wireless control system for remote train operation had not been implemented at the station.
On September 4, Korail released information regarding the 'wireless control system for rail vehicles,' stating that there was insufficient space to install the system.
The incident occurred around 7:20 a.m. on August 29, when a 50-year-old Korail employee, identified as A, was guiding the movement of a train consisting of one locomotive and 12 freight cars while communicating with the engineer via radio. A was struck by the reversing freight train and was found dead when emergency services arrived.
A Korail official explained, "When we first established the plan to introduce the wireless control system in October 2020, Uiwang Station was included as a key freight handling station. However, during the revision of the implementation plan in March 2023, the target stations were adjusted to reflect changes in the operating environment."
The official added, "The wireless control technology is designed to remotely operate dedicated yard locomotives. However, the Uiwang Station yard locomotive is a large locomotive that operates daily between Suwon and Obong, and there was not enough space to install the wireless control system, making on-site application impossible."
Regarding the delay in implementation, the official stated, "The certification process required to meet legal requirements for on-site application took a significant amount of time, including approvals for vehicle modifications and wireless frequency permits."
Korail officials also mentioned plans to develop wireless control technology for large locomotives and expand its use to other yard stations, including Uiwang Station.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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