ID :
197019
Mon, 07/25/2011 - 12:38
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/197019
The shortlink copeid
Take every measure to guarantee high-speed train safety
(Yonhap Editorial)
SEOUL, July 25 (Yonhap) -- The train collision in China that killed at least 43 passengers and injured about 200 others Saturday rang an alarming bell for the safety of South Korean high-speed trains, called KTX. A bullet train crashed into another high-speed train that had stalled after being struck by lightening in eastern China Saturday, causing four carriages to fall off a viaduct, according to reports. It was the first derailment involving China's high-speed rail program, which launched bullet trains capable of traveling at 250 kilometers per hour in 2007.
Upon receiving the report from China, the Korea Rail Corp. (KORAIL), the state-run operator of South Korea's high-speed train service, said KTX trains are safe from lightening strikes, and there is no possibility of a collision involving a stalled train because the trains are equipped with an automatic train control system (ATCS), which controls the speed of a following train in accordance with the change in speed of a preceding train.
The Land, Transportation and Maritime Affairs Ministry also announced a set of measures aimed at improving the safety of its high-speed KTX train service following a recent series of accidents that caused disruptions to services but no casualties.
The transportation ministry said it will conduct a special inspection on all KTX trains currently in operation as malfunctioning of parts has been blamed for the recent accidents.
Despite KORAIL's explanation and the ministry's measures, people's jitters about the safety of the problem-ridden KTX trains are now at a peak.
This year alone, KTX trains have stopped 36 times for various reasons, including derailment and equipment malfunctions.
Just this week, a KTX train abruptly stopped inside a tunnel and remained stationary for an hour while on its way to Seoul from the southern port city of Busan. KORAIL later identified the train's malfunctioning motor as the cause of the accident on Sunday.
KORAIL previously said it would immediately change all defective parts but now says the parts will be replaced with new ones on a gradual basis because changing all defaulted parts at the same time is impossible due to financial problems.
This means there can be some accidents until all the problematic parts get changed, and we cannot understand this.
All of the defective parts should be changed right away if they are the causes of accidents or malfunctioning of trains.
The government should take all measures to guarantee the safety of the high-speed train service, including the suspension of the service if it is deemed necessary.
The Board of Audit and Inspection will soon begin a special probe on KORAIL and KTX trains. We welcome the audit and hope the state auditor will scrutinize the KTX trains to determine the exact causes of stoppages and examine the maintenance systems.
SEOUL, July 25 (Yonhap) -- The train collision in China that killed at least 43 passengers and injured about 200 others Saturday rang an alarming bell for the safety of South Korean high-speed trains, called KTX. A bullet train crashed into another high-speed train that had stalled after being struck by lightening in eastern China Saturday, causing four carriages to fall off a viaduct, according to reports. It was the first derailment involving China's high-speed rail program, which launched bullet trains capable of traveling at 250 kilometers per hour in 2007.
Upon receiving the report from China, the Korea Rail Corp. (KORAIL), the state-run operator of South Korea's high-speed train service, said KTX trains are safe from lightening strikes, and there is no possibility of a collision involving a stalled train because the trains are equipped with an automatic train control system (ATCS), which controls the speed of a following train in accordance with the change in speed of a preceding train.
The Land, Transportation and Maritime Affairs Ministry also announced a set of measures aimed at improving the safety of its high-speed KTX train service following a recent series of accidents that caused disruptions to services but no casualties.
The transportation ministry said it will conduct a special inspection on all KTX trains currently in operation as malfunctioning of parts has been blamed for the recent accidents.
Despite KORAIL's explanation and the ministry's measures, people's jitters about the safety of the problem-ridden KTX trains are now at a peak.
This year alone, KTX trains have stopped 36 times for various reasons, including derailment and equipment malfunctions.
Just this week, a KTX train abruptly stopped inside a tunnel and remained stationary for an hour while on its way to Seoul from the southern port city of Busan. KORAIL later identified the train's malfunctioning motor as the cause of the accident on Sunday.
KORAIL previously said it would immediately change all defective parts but now says the parts will be replaced with new ones on a gradual basis because changing all defaulted parts at the same time is impossible due to financial problems.
This means there can be some accidents until all the problematic parts get changed, and we cannot understand this.
All of the defective parts should be changed right away if they are the causes of accidents or malfunctioning of trains.
The government should take all measures to guarantee the safety of the high-speed train service, including the suspension of the service if it is deemed necessary.
The Board of Audit and Inspection will soon begin a special probe on KORAIL and KTX trains. We welcome the audit and hope the state auditor will scrutinize the KTX trains to determine the exact causes of stoppages and examine the maintenance systems.
