A real-time remote monitoring system for railway switches—identified as the cause of the KTX derailment at Gwangmyeong Station in 2011—has been developed for use on general railway lines.

OTS (CEO Song Mu-sang), a company specializing in information and communications, announced on the 10th that it has successfully developed a "Slot-type Railway Switch Monitoring System" capable of reading and recognizing real-time current and voltage information from railway switch controllers with simple operation buttons.

OTS developed this technology with support from the Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) and Daejeon Transportation Corporation. Following continuous performance improvements, the product has been successfully delivered. One set of the "Slot-type" system was supplied each to Seodaejeon Station and Guam Station, operated by Daejeon Transportation Corporation. An earlier "One-board" version saw 18 sets supplied to Seoul Metro’s Line 2 in 2009.

This monitoring system can automatically measure and detect the current and voltage status of railway switches across up to nine channels at the push of a button. It also allows for the easy extraction of current measurement data from field equipment, which is essential for cause analysis in the event of accidents or failures. Furthermore, the system offers easy scalability for additional railway facilities and, because it is remotely controlled from indoors, is unaffected by environmental factors such as snow or rain.

In contrast, existing products often have data detection devices installed next to the outdoor railway switching equipment, making them susceptible to malfunctions caused by snow, rain, dust, or vibration.

The domestic demand for railway switches is approximately 8,000 units, a market largely dominated by conglomerates and mid-sized companies.

"Most railway switches operated by KORAIL and urban transit authorities require maintenance personnel to personally visit the site to measure controller status and determine failures," said CEO Song Mu-sang. "Implementing this system will increase the reliability of aging equipment and enable preemptive inspections."

He added, "The accuracy and precision of the data will also greatly help relieve the psychological pressure on field managers."

Daejeon = Reporter Park Hee-beom hbpark@etnews.com