Korean Job Discussion Forums

[wylies99]

KTX Is a Disaster Waiting to Happen
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200902/200902170037.html

Parts of the cement sleepers supporting the rails of the Daegu-Busan segment of the KTX high-speed train have developed cracks. If the sleepers, which support the weights of the trains and the rails, are damaged, then the rails themselves could twist, leading to catastrophic accidents as trains derail at speeds of 300 km/h. In other words, there are fatal safety flaws in the W7 trillion (US$1=W1,427) bullet train.
Out of around 153,000 sleepers that have been laid so far, 332 have developed cracks. And all of them pose dangers because all of the bolts that go into the sleepers have been discovered to be defective.

According to blueprints, waterproofing materials are supposed to be used to prevent water from seeping in between the bolts but they were not used, so the components absorbed rainwater, which expanded after freezing, causing the cracks to form. All 153,000 ties used the defective components, including the 332 that have developed cracks. So even those ties that seem to be in one piece could end up cracking any time.

The manufacturer that produced the components did not follow the blueprints and the company that made the sleepers did not bother to check for defects. And the overall contractor and even the company that supervised the entire project simply did not check the quality of the individual parts. If even one of them had done their job properly, none of this would have happened. How could a massive state-led project that cost astronomical amounts of taxpayers' money be handled so carelessly? The only good thing is that a major catastrophe was avoided since this problem was detected during the construction stage.

Aside from the cracks, safety concerns are being raised over fastening clips that connect the rails and sleepers. The clips produced by Pandrol, the British manufacturer selected to supply the products for the Daegu-Busan segment of the KTX, are said to have never been used in high-speed rails serving trains traveling at 300 km/h. The Board of Audit and Inspection pointed out in 2007 that Pandrol's fasteners, which have yet to prove themselves in terms of safety on high-speed rails, could cause problems such as twisting or actual damage to the tracks.

Construction on the KTX rail began recklessly in 1992, even before a type of train was decided and without even a blueprint for construction. The result was the repair of 190 locations and the partial reconstruction of 39 spots along the KTX route, following a detailed safety inspection by an American company in 1996. At that time, the government pledged to maintain the highest safety standards by mobilizing inspection crews and other measures. But the second phase of construction has again revealed a major flaw. The people responsible for this debacle should be identified, and the government must come up with a comprehensive plan to prevent state-run projects from being plagued by shoddy construction.

[coralreefer_1]

The issue is quite serious, but the KTX between Daegu and Busan never reaches anything close to top speed. It is only about 30-40 minutes faster that the regular trains, and that is mainly because it only stops in Miryang and sometimes Gupo while the regular trains stop many many more times on that leg.

An interesting article none the less...thanks for posting.

[Xuanzang]

Weren`t they supposed to finish the second leg this year and make Seoul to Busan a 2 hour trip?

[BreakfastInBed]

[GreenlightmeansGO]

To avoid confusion, this is the construction of the 'faster' line, right? This will bring the line up to the speed of the KTX between Seoul and Daegu, if I'm not mistaken. At the moment the track is still old, so the KTX can't go as fast as it can on the newer line. If they change the track, the train will be able to go at those dangerous speeds, to answer what another poster was questioning.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

[Scotticus]

[michaelambling]

[RACETRAITOR]

In my entire time here the KTX has been protested by one group or another. All their complaints kind of run together so you can ignore them all at once.

[jdog2050]

[ED209]

[pkang0202]

[sojusucks]

Know that people know about it it would be nice if it was fixed.

Of course we hear the usual response, "no money."

[exit86]

Every father in every country around the world tells his son or daughter at some point:
"If you are going to do something, do it right the first time of don't do it at all!"

Why do I sometimes feel that this is a valuable piece of wisdom yet to be imparted to each successive generation in Korea?

Answer: Stories like this one about the KTX.

[Guri Guy]

Can't say I'm shocked. Build everything Bbali bbali and see what happens.

God forbid if there is ever a big earthquake in this country.