Chairman Kim Han-young of Korea National Railway (KR) poses with members of a newly inaugurated consultation commission on future railway policy on June 14. The commission was launched to support carbon neutrality 2050 initiative and realization of the Korean New Deal initiative and explore new railway policies. (Photos: KR)

Korea National Railway (KR) has inaugurated a consultation commission on future railway policy to back up carbon neutrality 2050 initiative and realization of the Korean New Deal initiative and explore new railway policies to cope with diversification.

KR appointed 43 members of the commission in seven sectors, such as the economy, management, the 4th Industrial Revolution, transportation and environment.

The appointed councilors will be tasked with exploring future railway policies and materializing related businesses.

Experts in the logistics sector have been tapped to prepare for the future Eurasia railway network, surpassing inter-Korean railway networks, for the Korean Peninsula.

KR Chairman Kim Han-young said, “It is necessary to realize a transportation system focusing on railway to shift into carbon neutrality society, and to this end, KR will make preparations for the future railway era in a seamless fashion by proactively reflecting the consultation commission’s views.”

KR Chairman Kim holds a meeting with civil engineering contractors on May 13.

KR Holds Meeting with Contractors on Shared Growth

Korea National Railway (KR) had a meeting with civil engineering contractors in the railway construction sector to promote a safety, integrity and communications environment of the construction sector.

KR Chairman Kim’s latest meeting with civil engineering contractors took place on May 13, following two meetings in April. One meeting was on service contractors and the other on members of the Construction Association of Korea (CAK).

KR Chairman Kim said the meetings were designed to form common ground on KR’s management tenets prioritizing safety.

He called for participants to achieve a feast of zeroing industrial disasters through thorough safety management by treating all workers at railway construction sites as their family members.

Participants vowed to commit to fair play by striking a fair competition contract designed to settle fair and transparent evaluation regime.

KR Chairman Kim made an inspection tour to sites of constructing the 1,490-meter-long Archi Bridge and Chungju Station on April 30.

Chairman Kim took time to take stock of the progress of the construction projects and lend an ear to the complaints and grievances worksite workers experience.

He urged worksite workers to do their utmost to ensure safety.

The Archi Bridge and Chungju Station are part of a project to build the Icheon-Mungyeong railway. The 93.2 km-long project will cost 2.4867.7 trillion won in construction costs, and it is scheduled to be dedicated by 2023.

The project is designed to improve railway services in the inland region and set up connectivity with the Gyeonggang, Chungbuk and Gyeongbuk lines.

KR said the first phase 54-km-long section linking Incheon and Chungju is to be open to public services by late this year.

It takes one hour and 45 minutes for people to use buses on the section, but if a semi-high-speed train is operated on the railway line, it will dramatically reduce traveling time to some 25 minutes.

KR Chairman Kim said, “If the Icheon-Chungju railway is put into operation, it will greatly improve railway benefits of residents in the central inland region and contribute to the development of the regional economy.”

 He said KR will devote itself to opening the railway line as scheduled and ensuring safety management.