Korea National Railway tenders W76.1b in supervision contracts for rail systems

Korea National Railway said Friday it will issue 24 supervision contracts worth a combined 76.1 billion won ($55 million) to complete rail systems projects totaling 701.2 billion won, including construction of a railway integrated wireless network (LTE-R) and the Korean Train Control System for high-speed rail (KTCS-2).

The agency will first tender 20 supervision contracts — eight for communications and 12 for electrical work — worth 53.6 billion won this month, covering 12 conventional rail lines, including the Taebaek Line, where LTE-R has yet to be installed.

LTE-R is a domestically developed railway wireless communications system that optimizes fourth-generation LTE mobile technology for rail environments, enabling trains, control centers and trackside workers to exchange information needed for train operations and safety in real time.

Korea National Railway is investing a total of 496.2 billion won in the LTE-R construction project, targeting a service launch in December 2028.

Four supervision contracts worth 22.5 billion won for the KTCS-2 construction project, covering three high-speed rail lines, will also be tendered this month.

KTCS-2 is a Korean-developed train control system that monitors and manages train positions and operating data in real time, and is regarded as a symbol of the country's technological self-reliance in railway signaling. The project carries a total budget of 205 billion won and likewise targets a December 2028 launch.

Korea National Railway also plans to issue 27 additional supervision contracts worth 61.7 billion won by September, covering upgrades to aging power distribution lines on the Honam Line, aging signal equipment on the Yeongdong Line, and communications transmission facilities on high-speed lines. By year-end, it intends to tender a further 29 contracts worth 110.4 billion won for work including electric substation upgrades and video surveillance system installations.

Lee An-ho, acting president of Korea National Railway, said timely deployment of qualified supervision personnel from the outset is critical because railway improvement work is carried out on lines where trains are still running. "We will move quickly on the planned tenders to raise the safety and quality of railway communications and signaling facilities, and contribute to revitalizing the related industry," he said.