As a result of evaluating the safety management levels of national railway operating and facility management organizations, it was found that Seoul Transportation Corporation and Uijeongbu Light Rail received the lowest grade of C.
On the 22nd, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority released the results of the '2024 Railway Safety Management Level Evaluation' and noted that Busan Transportation Corporation was selected as the best operating organization. This evaluation was conducted for a total of 24 organizations, including 20 railway operating organizations and 4 facility management organizations nationwide.
Busan Transportation Corporation received an A grade (excellent) for achieving zero accidents last year and for the high level of safety awareness among its employees. Five organizations, including Airport Railroad, Daegu Transportation Corporation, Daejeon Transportation Corporation, Shinbundang Line, and Incheon Transportation Corporation, were also included in the A grade. These organizations received high scores in the safety investment sector by actively executing safety budgets.
A total of 16 organizations, including Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail), SR, and the National Railroad Authority, received a B grade (good).
In contrast, Seoul Transportation Corporation and Uijeongbu Light Rail were classified with a C grade (average). Seoul Transportation Corporation experienced an incident last year where a worker died during work, and the number of railway accidents and casualties increased compared to the previous year, resulting in a loss of points. Uijeongbu Light Rail received a low evaluation due to increased operational disruptions and traffic accidents. The Ministry of Land and Transport is expected to provide safety consulting support to the two organizations.
In this evaluation, the average score for operating organizations was 87.11 points, while facility management organizations maintained a score of 85.23 points, both at the B grade level. This indicates an increase of 1.1 points and 4.34 points, respectively, compared to the previous year, suggesting an overall improvement in railway safety management.
Jung Ui-gyeong, director of railway safety policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "The accident indicators and safety investment scores exceed an average of 90% compared to the maximum score, clearly showing the results of efforts made by institutions for safety. However, the safety management score assessing employees' safety awareness is still at a level of 75%, indicating significant room for improvement. We will spare no support to ensure that a culture where safety is the top priority in railway operations takes root on-site."