Rail Shunting Accidents Average More Than Four a Year, Transport Ministry Promises Full Review

Rail shunting work has caused an average of more than four industrial accidents a year at South Korea’s national railway operator, according to data obtained from Korail.

The data, secured by the office of lawmaker Kim Eun-hye, show 99 accidents related to shunting between Korail’s conversion into a state-run corporation in 2005 and last month. Shunting involves separating and coupling trains and repositioning railcars. Five of the accidents were fatal, including the death of a Korail employee in his 50s who was struck and run over during work at Uiwang Station on the 29th of last month.

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Because the work involves moving vehicles, a moment of inattention can cause a derailment or a major disaster.

The Uiwang death came four years after a worker in his 30s died while shunting at Obong Station in November 2022. Railway police and the Ministry of Employment and Labor are investigating the latest accident, including its cause and whether safety rules were followed.

Korail’s 2021 comprehensive plan to prevent shunting accidents described the work as dangerous because moving vehicles can cause derailments and major disasters after a moment of inattention. The plan cited inadequate safety conditions at worksites, structural weaknesses in worker routes along tracks and incorrect work practices. It proposed remote-control systems that would allow transport workers to operate shunting remotely, with installation planned at 11 stations by 2024.

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The essence of this accident lies in a structure where workers had no choice but to take risks at a workplace without a properly established safety system.

Korail now says the system operates at only three locations: Jecheon yard, Go-dong and Yeongju Station. Obong Station, where the 2022 fatality occurred, was included in the first installation group but still lacks the system. Uiwang Station was not included in that group. Korail said certification required to meet legal conditions has taken considerable time, and that Uiwang could be considered if the system is expanded.

The railway union said the latest accident reflected a structure in which workers had no choice but to accept risks at sites without adequate safety systems. It called for minimum staffing standards for shunting, clear work routes and safety railings. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it would review all safety-related issues.

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We will comprehensively review the safety-related aspects again.