GTX-A, the first of a planned three-line standard-gauge network, will extend from Unjeong in the north of Seoul through to Dongtan in Gyeonggi Province in the south. Services will operate at up to 180km/h, with 10 stops including Seoul Station interchange, allowing an end-to-end journey time of just over 40 minutes, more than halving the equivalent travel time on the metro. Construction of GTX-A began at the end of last year, with the line expected to open in 2024. Lines B and C will add a further 130km to the network by 2027. Ricardo will provide system engineering and Independent Safety Assessment (ISA) services to ensure the infrastructure and rolling stock systems, communications and signalling, are properly integrated. System engineering activity will include overseeing the integration management and providing expert support on reliability, availability, maintainability and safety (RAMS), noise and vibration, electromagnetic compatibility and interface management. As the appointed ISA, Ricardo will also assess engineering and maintenance system safety against relevant international standards. The deep tunnel project is similar to London’s Crossrail project, for which Ricardo Certification is the appointed Notified Body. “Our experts will put in place the exemplary management procedures that will help support this major investment in Seoul’s transport infrastructure,” says Ricardo Rail Korea business manager, Mr Seok-Kyun Shin. “With the technical knowledge and assurance processes we have developed in Britain and elsewhere readily available to our team in Seoul, we can help anticipate the engineering challenges ahead for Line A and be ready to support plans for its interfaces with lines B and C.” For detailed information on commuter rail projects around the world, subscribe to IRJ Pro.
