UIWANG, South Korea – DECEMBER 26 – Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) (President: Dr. Seok-Youn Han) has selected its four of its promising technologies as 2024 Outstanding K-Rail Technologies to develop K-Railway technology into a world-class product.Outstanding K-rail technologies represent outstanding innovation that integrates Korea’s strengths including the 4th industrial revolution technologies and Korean culture with traditional railway industry capabilities. This selection has been conducted since 2021.The technologies were selected through a comprehensive evaluation of their technical excellence, commercialization potential, and socio-economic impact. The selected technologies will be developed and commercialized into world-class premium technologies with customized support such as follow-up business support, management of intellectual property rights including patents, certification, and promotion.Core Technology for Liquid Hydrogen-based Locomotive (Gil-dong Kim, Chief Researcher of KRRI) was selected as the most outstanding technology among the KRRI’s Outstanding Rail Technologies.The outstanding technologies were AI-based Air Pollutant Concentration Prediction and Subway Air Purification Technology (Duck-Shin Park, Chief Researcher of KRRI), AI-based High Precision Rail Wear Inspection System (Woo-Tae Jeong, Principal Researcher of KRRI), and BIM-based Integrated Operation Platform for Rail Infrastructure Digital Management Innovation (Young-Gon Park, Chief Researcher of KRRI), respectively. The Core Technology for Liquid Hydrogen-based Locomotive, which was selected as the most outstanding technology, is a 100% eco-friendly technology that generates electricity by supplying liquefied hydrogen in a cryogenic state of -253℃ to a fuel cell and uses it to drive railroad vehicles.It was developed to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas and fine dust emissions from diesel locomotives, and combines a liquid hydrogen supply system and hybrid propulsion control technology.The AI-based Air Pollutant Concentration Prediction and Subway Air Purification Technology selected as an outstanding technology is a world-class technology that predicts the concentration of PM2.5, PM10, VOCs, radon, etc. using artificial intelligence optimized for the subway environment and maintains a comfortable environment. Export to Taiwan has been confirmed, and export negotiations are underway with Singapore and India.The AI-based High Precision Rail Wear Inspection System is a technology that automatically recognizes and inspects the wear and defects of rails on railroad tracks to improve maintenance efficiency. It is capable of detecting rail defects and predicting risks, and is a promising technology that plays an important role in preventing railroad safety accidents.The BIM-based Integrated Operation Platform for Rail Infrastructure Digital Management Innovation is a platform technology that efficiently manages information needed throughout the entire lifecycle of railway infrastructure, including planning, design, construction, and maintenance. This technology aligns with the government's policy to digitalize and automate the entire construction process by 2030, and is expected to revolutionize the railway infrastructure management paradigm.KRRI plans to provide customized support tailored to each technology's characteristics to help the selected Outstanding K-Rail Technologies establish themselves as world-class innovations.President Dr. Seok-Youn Han of KRRI said, “K-Rail technology has already reached world-class standards, and we will continue to focus on promoting its competitiveness globally,” and added “We will dedicate ourselves to continuous research, development, and technological innovation to elevate K-Rail technology to premium status.”Attachment: Images of Outstanding K-rail technologiesPress ContactsYoonju YIKorea Railroad Research Instituteyjyi@krri.re.kr+82 31 460 5189

- Forum for railway technology exchange to discuss joint development and cooperation -UIWANG, South Korea – OCTOBER 31 – Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) (President: Dr. Seok-Youn Han) held the 20th China-Korea-Japan Railway Research Technology Seminar in collaboration with the China Academy of Railway Sciences Corporation Limited (CARS) and the Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) of Japan from October 30 to November 1 at KRRI in Uiwang.A total of 60 participants, including 19 Chinese delegates led by Deputy Chief Engineer Xiangdong Gao of CARS, 11 Japanese delegates led by Senior Vice President Ashiya Kimitoshi of RTRI and 30 KRRI members led by President Seok-Youn Han, discussed railroad technology in Korea, China, and Japan.The KRRI reviewed research achievements and discussed future research plans with researchers from China's CARS and Japan's RTRI on a total of 19 joint research projects, consisting of 13 existing and 6 new ones.On October 30, chief delegate meetings of the three organizations was held to discuss joint research topics and technical cooperation plans, and on October 31 and November 1, keynote lectures, presentations on joint research projects, and technical inspections were held.In the keynote lecture, Ryu Jun-Hyung, head of the Propulsion System Research Department of the KRRI, presented Hydrogen Train Research Status and Future Plans, Jinjiao Liu, a researcher at CARS, presented Development Status of High-Speed Rail in China, and Murono Yoshitaka, a researcher at RTRI, presented Research on Japanese Railway Technology for Earthquake Preparedness.The presentations were followed by 13 research projects jointly conducted by KRRI, CARS, and RTRI, including comparison of high-speed rail maintenance technologies and standards, railroad safety strategy planning and comparative analysis, railroad carbon neutralization strategies and technology cases, and railroad infrastructure monitoring system using satellite information, as well as six research projects that will be conducted in the coming year.KRRI, CARS, and the RTRI signed a business agreement to strengthen mutual cooperation in joint research projects. The three research institutes will share research directions for future-oriented railway technology and strengthen cooperation in the areas of carbon neutrality, digitalization, international standards, railway interoperability, and railway safety. The China-Korea-Japan Railway Research Technical Seminar is an international academic event that has been jointly organized by railway research institutes in Korea, China, and Japan since 2001 at the suggestion of the KRRI. Railway researchers from the three countries have shared railway technologies and strengthened cooperation.“The 20th China-Korea-Japan Railway Research Technical Seminar was a very meaningful time for railway research institutes from Korea, China, and Japan to share and discuss the current and future technology development directions of railway technology,” said President Dr. Seok-Youn Han of KRRI.” In the future, the three research institutes - KRRI, China's CARS, and Japan's RTRI - will continue to work closely together for the common development of railways in East Asia.”※ Attachment: Photos of the 20th China-Korea-Japan Railway Research Technology SeminarPress ContactsYoonju YIKorea Railroad Research Instituteyjyi@krri.re.kr+82 31 460 5189