Gwangju Metro Line 1 to Be Fully Upgraded to LTE-R, Enhancing Safety and Control Systems

Resolving Communication Failures in Tunnels:
Enhanced Disaster Response and Video Sharing Capabilities
Securing 1.95 Billion Won in National Funding;
System to Be Established Throughout All Sections by 2027

The safety and control system of Gwangju Metro Line 1 will be completely replaced with a next-generation railway communication network based on LTE-R (Long Term Evolution-Railway). Even in tunnel sections, which often have communication blind spots, a high-speed, high-capacity wireless network will be secured, significantly enhancing the ability to respond to emergencies.

Gwangju Metropolitan City Hall. Photo by Song Bohyun

On December 15, the Gwangju Metropolitan Government announced that 1.95 billion won had been allocated in the 2026 national budget for the construction of an integrated railway wireless network (LTE-R) for Metro Line 1. This project is part of a government policy to establish a railway wireless communication system connected to the national public safety LTE network (PS-LTE).

The construction of the LTE-R system involves replacing the current voice-centered wireless communication (VHF, TRS) with a fourth-generation network capable of transmitting large volumes of data. The current system posed risks of communication failures in tunnels and similar areas, but with the introduction of LTE-R, high-definition video transmission and large-scale data sharing will become possible.

Additionally, real-time CCTV video monitoring and the ability to share footage from accident scenes will enable immediate information sharing with public safety agencies such as fire and police departments in the event of fires, terrorism, or emergencies. The city expects that this will shorten response and rescue times at the scene.

The Gwangju Metropolitan Government will invest a total of 12.2 billion won to carry out the project in phases from 2025 to 2027. After securing 2.2 billion won in the 2025 supplementary budget, the latest budget allocation further strengthens funding. Gwangju Transportation Corporation is currently in the process of contracting for purchase, installation, and supervision services. The system will be established across the control center, main line, 20 stations, two depots, and all 23 train sets between 2026 and 2027.

Kim Joungho, Director of Metropolitan Transportation, stated, "With the implementation of LTE-R, the communication and control system for Metro Line 1 will be upgraded to meet national standards," adding, "We will continue to strengthen the safety infrastructure so that citizens can use the metro with peace of mind."

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