Korail Conducts High-Speed Train Derailment Drill in 50m-Deep Underground Tunnel

Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) announced on March 11 that it conducted a joint drill with related agencies at Yulhyun Tunnel, located between Dongtan and Suseo on the Suseo High-Speed Railway Line, to prepare for possible high-speed train derailments.

More than 80 people from five organizations—including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Korail, SR, the Railway Police, and Seongnam Fire Station—participated in the exercise. Two high-speed trains, a KTX and an SRT, were mobilized for the drill. The scenario assumed a KTX train derailing inside the tunnel at a depth of 50 meters underground. Participants practiced passenger evacuation and on-site control measures. They also demonstrated towing the train by coupling the SRT train to the derailed KTX. The drill was aimed at verifying the effectiveness of the initial response manual in a deep underground environment and checking the evacuation routes and guidance system, including vertical emergency exits.

KORAIL, SR, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport conducted an emergency response drill early morning on the 11th at Yulhyeon Tunnel, simulating a high-speed train derailment scenario. Photo by KORAIL

Since last month, KTX and SRT have begun trial cross-operations in preparation for an upcoming integration. The Suseo High-Speed Railway Line is the route previously used by SRT, and to prepare for emergencies, this drill recreated a scenario in which a 10-car SRT tows a 20-car KTX.

Tae-seung Kim, CEO of Korail, stated, "We will prioritize the lives and safety of the public by establishing an unwavering safety system even in deep underground environments and continue to enhance our emergency response capabilities through repeated field-oriented drills."

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