There was an accident at Seoul Station a while ago where a train failed to stop after passing a signal. Since then, bigger accidents have occurred, so it seems to have been somewhat forgotten, but recently, a full-screen video of JR East’s Narita Express was uploaded, and it describes how signaling is used on Japanese railways, so I’m quoting it. If you’re in a hurry, you can watch it from around the 19th minute.
The basic flow is to first stop the train according to the caution signal within chapter 1 and the stop signal within chapter 2, but since the train’s parallel connection has already been specified, it stops at Maru-yu (circled signal, guidance signal stop location) and waits for the signal until the guidance signal is displayed. This is the same content in our country’s operating regulations. Since the guidance signal itself has been used since before World War II when colored signals began to be used, the basis for the regulations in Japan and Korea are probably the same. However, I remember that in the parallel connection operation of KTX and others, they usually didn’t stop in front of the internal signal. In a way, it could be seen as a way of doing it, but in a way, it could be seen as a result of the trust in the captain or the engineer.
After stopping, when the guiding signal comes on, it passes the stop signal at an unbeatable 25 km/h and enters, then stops again at the coupling location. This is also because it is designed to stop a certain distance in front of the vehicle to be connected when shunting, and then accelerate again to connect. I believe there is a corresponding provision in Korea as well. And the conductor of the front train performs the connection work through radio communication. In fact, in another case I’ve seen before, the station staff consulted with the engineer of the stopped train and performed the connection work while signaling with a flag, but I think the NEX is driven based on ATS-P (similar to ATP in Korea) and the steering wheel is high, making it difficult to see the flag signal, so I think this may have been made an exception.
One thing to note here is that the stop position is indicated by a separate sign on the wall. Since this is a train with a so-called high-speed driving platform specification to protect the driver and secure a through door in the event of a collision at a level crossing, it seems that they made such a sign because it would have been difficult to recognize it with markings on the floor and such. Also, since it is an underground station, there are issues with visibility and congestion, and since it is a place where not only express trains but also regular trains are operated at high density, it seems that the station staff usually do not go out and communicate the stop position and proceed with shunting. There are many old-fashioned corners that follow old regulations, but in any case, it can be seen that there are many traces of things being put in here and there to try to take out something.
I can’t say that you have to follow it exactly, but I think it’s a video that makes you think at least once about what parts you need to pay attention to when dealing with safety issues… That’s what I think.
2024-09-13 20:35:10