President Sohn Byung-suk of Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) looks at fire-fighting equipment in Gajwa Station on the Gyeongui-Jungang Line on June 17.

Korea has been recognized abroad for its exemplifying practice of preventing, tracing and diagnosing of COVID-19. Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) introduced its strategy to prevent the spread of the pandemic via a WB teleconference seminar, drawing attention from several countries.

KORAIL was invited to a webinar, hosted by the World Bank, NGOs and Asian and African railroad operator entities, and shared KORAIL’s preventive steps against COVID-19.

The World Bank, in cooperation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), held the webinar targeting member countries under the theme “Maintaining Transportation Services after the Spread of COVID-19” on May 20.

Railroad operator entities of Korea, China and Japan were invited to the webinar and KORAIL presented strategies to take countermeasures against COVID-19 on behalf of Korean railroad organizations.

Initially, KORAIL explained the operation of an ad hoc headquarters designed to take safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and the establishment of a close joint disinfection regime with the government (the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), and local governments, like the provision of information on the movement of people confirmed to have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, and the installment of selective diagnosis centers.

All stations and trains are disinfected more than twice daily, while KTX trains are disinfected four to five times per day.

Windowside tickets have been issued preferentially for social distancing and a flexible seat ticket system has been introduced, while airport buses and special KTX train cabins have been operated to transport inbound travelers.

KORAIL Officials carry signs recommending wearing face masks while boarding trains to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at Seoul Railroad Station on June 14. (Photos: KORAIL)

KORAIL also presented the provision of free rides to medical volunteers, public campaigns to wear face masks and publicize contactless lifestyle, and a vision of preparing the post-COVID-19 era.

Foreign organizations have apparently paid keen attention to the fact that KORAIL has maintained the stable operation of trains in cooperation with central and local governments despite the spread of COVID-19 and even though train ridership dropped about 30 percent compared to a year ago, the train network has served as a last bulwark for public transportation.

Earlier, the Worldwide Rail Organization (UIC) introduced a two-part story on the situation of the Korean railroad network’s rapid response to COVID-19 on its website. UIC concluded that Korea’s preventive and effective ways of taking countermeasures against COVID-19 without disrupting the operation of trains and causing inconveniences to passengers would be helpful to other nations.

KORAIL was also invited to a webinar hosted by the African region of UIC on April 7 to present its response against COVID-19.
International organizations representing economic and railroad sectors’ focus on Korea’s response to COVID-19 was owed to Korean people’s solidarity and cooperation with KORAIL staff, a KORAIL official said.

KORAIL plans to continue to share expertise on its disinfection activities against COVID-19 with foreign railroad organizations, the official added.