President Sagong-myeong of the Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) has been spearheading a railway R&D paradigm shift since he took office in May 2025.
KRRI has restructured its research into three axes – AI transformation, carbon neutrality and safety.
The research institute has been devoting itself to the development of future technologies, such as 400km/h trains and hyperloops.
In an interview with a journal, KRRI President Sagong said the research institute has been accelerating efforts to realize AI-based “smart railway” through a massive reorganization, such as inauguration of the Railway Transportation AX Headquarters.
As for the background for the establishment of the three R&D goals for 2030, and four core research axes, President Sagong said, “The direction of operating each R&D institution is established in consideration of social, technology and inside capability conditions, and the important thing is what society badly needs, so KRRI has set three goals – railway’s Al transformation, expanded commercialization of railway innovation technologies, and building of inclusive railway mobility.”
In the high-speed sector, President Sagong said KRRI announced outcomes of a core technology research on a 370km/h train last year.
A state-initiated R&D project to build a 400km/h train is now under way.
High-speed, AI-based railway transportation upgrades, the realization of carbon neutrality and safety are import research task themes.
The research will continue to be done with the inauguration of a separate body and budgetary investment in accordance with social demands and technology trends.
As for research on energy reduction and realizing carbon neutrality, he said the first goal among ways of reducing energy is the development of trains with higher energy efficiency.
KRRI is striving to explore diverse ways, such as the use of energy storage systems in the power gird, power semiconductor-based equipment and stations’ energy reduction.
A large part of the development of the Korean Train Control System-3 (KTCS-3), a next-generation train control system, has been completed, and its verification is under way.
KRRI unveils outcomes of AI-based preemptive railway safety technologies at the Land Infrastructure and Transportation Technology Fair 2026, which took place at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul, from June 24 to June 26. (Photos: KRRI)
KRRI Teams Up with KIND to Explore Cooperate in Exploration Overseas Railway Projects
KRRI struck an MOU with Korea Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development Corporation (KIND) to cooperate on the exploration of overseas railway projects at KRRI headquarters in Uiwang, Gyeonggi-do, on June 23.
Both institutions agreed to share information on overseas railway project market entry, build a cooperative system, and cooperate in efforts to ramp up the competitiveness of landing overseas railway projects through consulting related to overseas market entry and joint research.
KRRI agreed to support a technology and project feasibility analysis of overseas railway projects based on diverse railway systems, railway operation, safety and smart maintenance. KIND agreed to explore projects using its overseas network and investment financing restructuring capabilities and perform connectivity with their investments.
KRRI Launches Development of Key Technologies on Autonomous Railroad Robot-Based Track Inspection
The Korea Railroad Research Institute embarked on a project to develop key technologies on autonomous railroad robot-based track inspection, going beyond the conventional digital twin that confirms conditions of railway facilities in a virtual space.
The latest research aims to help autonomous inspection robots utilize a virtual railway environment (digital twin) as a “dynamic learning center” so that they repeatedly learn and experience diverse track conditions and dangerous situations in a virtual railway environment.
It is expected to shift the railway maintenance system from a reactive response regime to preventive and autonomous regime.
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