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| ▲ Stranded passengers crowd Seoul Station on June 16, 2023, as KTX and regular train services face delays due to an electricity supply failure on the Gyeongui Line. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Trains wait on the tracks at Seoul Station in Seoul on June 16, 2023, following an electricity supply problem on a line connecting Seoul with its northwestern satellite cities. (Yonhap) |
(2nd LD) train service-accident
(2nd LD) Power supply failure delays train services around Seoul
(ATTN: UPDATES with more info in paras 3, 11; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, June 16 (Yonhap) -- A power supply failure occurred on the Gyeongui Line, which connects Seoul with its northwestern satellite cities, Friday resulting in disruptions to high-speed KTX and suburban train services in and around the capital.
The incident took place at 12:35 p.m. when the electricity supply on the Seoul-bound track was abruptly cut off. The Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) blocked the affected track and operated trains in both directions on the remaining track.
The electricity supply problem was solved at 5:04 p.m., but many passengers, including weekend tourists, complained of inconveniences caused by delays in train operations.
KORAIL speculated the accident may have been caused by an unidentified object coming into contact with a railway electrical device.
The disruption also caused delays in the schedules of certain high-speed KTX and regular trains that start from Goyang, northwest of Seoul, and operate on the Gyeongbu and Honam lines.
Following the incident, 175 passengers on a KTX train, bound for Masan, about 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul, were transferred to an alternative train. They reached Masan 202 minutes later than originally planned.
Except for the KTX train, the operations of many other KTX and regular trains were delayed by 11 to 60 minutes. Six trains on the Gyeongui Line were suspended.
After restoration work was completed, KORAIL apologized for the disruptions.
"We apologize for the difficulty in using trains, and we are investigating the cause of the accident and the damage caused by the train delays," the official said.
"Immediately after the accident, we operated a team to address it and completed the restoration work with personnel in charge of electricity, facilities and train operations," the official added.
The country's transport ministry pointed out that many passengers had difficulty getting accurate information on delays in train operations. It plans to explore measures to improve the information system for train users, officials said.
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