Confusion Over "Kimpo Gold Line Burning Smell" Report... Issue Found in Train Wheels

Urgent Inspection... "Foreign Substance on Wheel Causing Strange Smell"

During the peak commuting hours, the Gyeonggi Gimpo Urban Railway Goldline, notorious for its extreme congestion rates (passenger count relative to capacity) and nicknamed 'Hell Train' and 'Bone-breaking Line,' received reports of a burning smell inside the train, prompting the operator to conduct an emergency inspection.

According to the Gimpo Goldline operator on the 28th, around 7:10 a.m., four reports were received stating "there is a burning smell." The reporters, who were on a train heading toward Gimpo Airport Station, contacted not only the operator but also emergency services 119 and 112 as the acrid smell intensified. The foul odor, which spread before reaching the terminal station, reportedly worsened over time.

A reporter, Mr. Jeon (46), said, "The burning smell was noticeable even before boarding the train at Gochon Station, and it became stronger after boarding. Since the train was packed with passengers, I barely managed to take out my phone and call 119. After getting off at Gimpo Airport Station, I also reported it to 112 out of concern for safety."

The Gimpo Goldline operator, upon receiving the reports, moved the train to the depot for inspection and estimated that the burning smell was caused by foreign substances attached to the train wheels.

An operator official stated, "We believe the burning smell was caused by friction from foreign substances stuck to the wheels. Although we have not identified what the substances were, we plan to conduct a thorough inspection and take measures to ensure there are no safety issues during future operations."

Gimpo Goldline Congestion Rate Turns Upward After Staying Below 200%

Similar complaints have occurred in the past. In January 2021, around 7:40 a.m., a commotion broke out as passengers hurriedly evacuated from a train heading toward Gimpo Airport due to a strong burning smell. The train was abruptly stopped because of the intense odor.

Meanwhile, the congestion rate on the Goldline has started to rise again. Although various measures such as expanding express buses (70A-70D) and opening a dedicated bus lane between Gaehwa and Gimpo Airport temporarily reduced the congestion rate to below 200% during rush hours, the number of passengers has surged once more.

According to Gimpo City on the 23rd, the maximum congestion rate during morning rush hours this month reached 289%, returning to levels seen before the implementation of various mitigation measures. This means that on a two-car Gimpo Goldline train, which has a standing passenger capacity of 116, approximately 336 passengers?nearly three times the capacity?are standing.

Gimpo City plans to increase the number of Gimpo Goldline trains (including reserve trains) from the current 23 trainsets with 46 cars to 28 trainsets with 56 cars by next year. Since last month, the city has been sequentially bringing in five additional trainsets to the depot, and after reserve test runs and mainline test operations, these will be deployed on the railway line starting June next year. Once the additional trainsets are in service, the interval between trains during rush hours (7 a.m. to 9 a.m.) will be shortened by 37 seconds, from the current 3 minutes 7 seconds to 2 minutes 30 seconds.

Although the increase in trains is expected to improve passenger transport capacity, congestion is not anticipated to ease significantly. Due to population growth in nearby areas such as Incheon’s Geomdan New Town and worsening traffic congestion on Seoul’s Olympic-daero and other roads, demand for the Gimpo Goldline remains high despite its reputation as a 'Hell Train.'

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