With the opening of the express rail in 2004 and its effort on structural reformation, korean railroad system has been rapidly changed. The opening of the express rail enabled passengers to travel faster and more conveniently, but it also made the ha...
With the opening of the express rail in 2004 and its effort on structural reformation, korean railroad system has been rapidly changed. The opening of the express rail enabled passengers to travel faster and more conveniently, but it also made the hazards associated with the railroad system more complex and increased the possibility of accidents and extent of fatalities. The Railroad Safety Act was issued to provide safeguards to reduce accidents.
To control and minimize potential hazards, safety management plan for the railroad system should consider followings. First, the safe and systematic rail route should be established between the department of rail construction and the management institutions. Second, a comprehensive safety inspection procedure should be initiated based on the requirements of Railroad Safety Act. Third, an improved plan for the safety training should be provided to all railroad staffs.
Therefore, to ensure the safe operation, any procedural and control errors potentially involved in railroad facilities, vehicles, electrical systems, and operations should be identified. External unsafe factors should also be controlled to prevent accidents in advance.
In the present study, current status of korean railroad system was reviewed in terms of safety management. This knowledge was then compared to those of advanced countries. From the literature review, major problems associated with the route operation of train service and the comprehensive employee training program in korean railroad system were identified. Finally, a safety improvement plan for korean railroad system was proposed. The plan is expected to be applied for developing a better safety management plan for korean railroad system.