Seongnam City Strengthens Safety Measures for Wirye Line (Tram) Trial Run: "Citizen Safety Comes First"

Joint Safety Inspection with Operator Scheduled for March

Focus on Pedestrian Safety Facilities and Nighttime Visibility in Commercial Areas

Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor: Shin Sangjin) announced on March 11 that, with the full-scale mainline trial run of the Wirye Line (tram) commencing, it will strengthen safety inspections and cooperation systems with related organizations to ensure that citizens can use the tram with greater peace of mind.

Seongnam City Hall panorama. Provided by Seongnam City.

The Wirye Line (tram) is a 5.4-kilometer streetcar route with 12 stops, connecting Macheon Station (Seoul Subway Line 5), Bokjeong Station (Line 8 and Suin-Bundang Line), and Namwirye Station (Line 8). Of this, the Seongnam section is 2.12 kilometers long and passes through five stops: Wirye Central Plaza, Wirye History Park, Wirye Tram Square, Namwirye, and Wirye Smart City.

Recently, as images were shared of the tram passing near shopping centers and pedestrian paths during trial runs, residents' concerns about pedestrian safety have been growing.

In response, Seongnam City has proactively implemented various safety measures to create a safer environment for citizens. In December of last year, the city produced and distributed safety training materials including videos to relevant departments and related organizations, and requested their cooperation in education. Before the trial runs began, the city also conducted preliminary safety inspections focusing on pedestrian routes and areas adjacent to commercial zones along the tram route to identify potential risk factors.

Additionally, during this month, Seongnam City plans to conduct a joint safety inspection with Seoul Metro, the operator of the Wirye Line (tram). This inspection will focus on assessing the adequacy of pedestrian safety facilities in densely commercial areas, ensuring visibility during nighttime operations, and reviewing measures to prevent jaywalking, with the goal of eliminating safety blind spots and creating a pedestrian environment where citizens can feel more secure.

A Seongnam City official stated, "The Wirye Line (tram) is an important transportation infrastructure that will improve mobility for residents of the new town, so we are prioritizing citizen safety above all else in its management. We will continue to closely cooperate with Seoul City and the operator to further enhance pedestrian safety facilities and information systems before the line opens, and through ongoing inspections, we aim to create a transportation environment where citizens can use the tram with confidence."

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