Are There Measures to Prevent Delivery Delays of Seoul Subway Trains?

Seoul Metropolitan Council Transportation Committee Visits Urban Railway Train Manufacturers to Ensure Stable Train Supply

On the 24th and 25th, conducted joint factory visits with Seoul Metro to domestic train manufacturers Hyundai Rotem, Dawonsys, and Woojin Industrial Systems

Thorough process management needed to stabilize train supply and ensure citizen safety

Concerns are rising that Seoul subway train manufacturers are failing to meet proper delivery deadlines due to rushing to win bids, highlighting the urgent need for countermeasures.

Amid this, the Seoul Metropolitan Council Transportation Committee (Chairman Park Jung-hwa, People Power Party, Seongdong 1) conducted on-site visits during the 318th extraordinary session to the Woojin Industrial Systems factory located in Jeungpyeong-gun, Chungbuk, Dawonsys factory in Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk, and Hyundai Rotem factory in Changwon, Gyeongnam, all domestic urban railway train manufacturers.

The Transportation Committee visited the sites on the 24th and 25th, received reports on the progress of train manufacturing scheduled for delivery to Seoul, and inspected key production lines.

Currently, the status of Seoul subway train production by the three companies is as follows: Hyundai Rotem is manufacturing 48 cars for Line 9, Woojin Industrial Systems is producing 260 cars for Line 4, 54 cars for the Byeolnae Line, and 45 modules for the Wirye Line tram.

Additionally, Dawonsys has contracts for 298 cars for Lines 5 and 8, and is proceeding with design and manufacturing.

The visit to the train manufacturing factories was conducted together with officials from the train department of Seoul Metro, which operates the Seoul subway, to ensure thorough on-site inspection and smooth train supply.

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The Transportation Committee members received reports on the basic status, business areas, achievements, production capacity, and train manufacturing status of Woojin Industrial Systems, Dawonsys, and Hyundai Rotem, which manufacture trains domestically and internationally. They also inspected the appropriateness of installed facilities inside completed trains and compliance with safety standards.

At the Hyundai Rotem factory, members rode a two-story train currently undergoing test runs intended for overseas delivery, checked the interior facilities and driver's cabin, and held discussions on the necessity of introducing such trains domestically.

Furthermore, the committee members asked questions at the three manufacturers’ sites regarding the advantages and disadvantages of steel and aluminum, the train body materials, welding methods by material, appropriateness of vehicle purchase prices, and each company's measures to prevent delivery delays. They also urged thorough safety education and workforce management to prevent worker accidents.

Chairman Park Jung-hwa emphasized, “To guarantee safe subway use for Seoul citizens, it is essential to produce safe trains through meticulous process and quality management and to deploy trains on schedule.”

He also urged, “All parties from Woojin Industrial Systems, Dawonsys, and Hyundai Rotem, together with Seoul Metro, must make every effort,” and added, “I ask the three companies responsible for domestic train manufacturing to strive for new technological advancements so that Korea can lead the world in train manufacturing technology.”

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