Rail Union Strike First Weekend... Morning Operation Rate 79.2%

The nationwide strike by the Korea Railroad Workers' Union (Railroad Union) has entered its third day, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is taking steps to normalize operations by increasing train service rates.

According to the Ministry on the 16th, as of 9 a.m., the nationwide train operation rate was confirmed to be 79.2% of the usual level. Out of 619 trains, 490 were in operation.

On the 15th, as the temporary strike by the National Railway Workers' Union continues, a train is stopped near the 수도권 Cheoldo Charyang Jeongbidan in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@

The operation rates by train type were KTX at 76.5% (65 out of 85 trains in operation), passenger trains at 74.8% (80 out of 107), freight trains at 34.6% (9 out of 26), and metropolitan subway trains at 83.8% (336 out of 401).

The operation rate increased by 2.8 percentage points compared to 76.4% as of 3 p.m. the previous day. This is 100.6% of the originally planned level.

To achieve this, the Ministry is deploying 1,308 substitute personnel on site today, including 389 train drivers and 191 train crew members. Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) is also temporarily operating 7 KTX trains today and will add 6 more on the 17th, totaling 13 additional trains over the weekend. Instead of concentrating on peak commuting hours during the weekend, trains are being operated flexibly according to congestion levels.

Additionally, in accordance with the emergency transport measures headquarters established for the Railroad Union strike, 22 personnel including railroad police and railroad safety inspectors have been deployed to inspect safety areas. Additional safety personnel have also been assigned to major stations nationwide.

The Railroad Union began a temporary general strike from the 14th until 9 a.m. on the 18th. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport stated that it is maintaining a hotline with the Railroad Union and has left room open for further negotiations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.