AI congestion management system at Seoul Station and autonomous material transport robots in operation at Siheung Rolling Stock Depot

The Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) announced on the 10th that it has successfully completed demonstration projects of new railway technologies—including an AI congestion management system, radar sensors, and autonomous robots—at railway sites such as Seoul Station and the Siheung Rolling Stock Maintenance Depot.

This project was carried out as part of a collaboration under the National Information Society Agency (NIA)’s Open RAN demonstration initiative, based on LG Electronics’ Open RAN 5G private network solution.

※ Open RAN 5G Private Network: A dedicated 5G mobile network built for specific institutions or workplaces using standardized open interfaces (Open RAN), ensuring flexible scalability and interoperability while stably supporting high-resolution, large-volume data transmission with ultra-low latency, high speed, and massive connectivity.

First, at Seoul Station, a pilot service is underway in which robots guide passengers based on AI analysis of congestion levels.

Congestion guidance robot at Seoul Station demonstrated by KORAIL based on a 5G private network

The service uses an AI system that monitors pedestrian flow and crowd density, enabling robots to disperse passengers and prevent safety accidents through customized safety guidance. By linking train arrival and departure times with platform congestion data, safety personnel can be proactively deployed during peak crowd periods.

Radar sensors installed inside restroom stalls at Seoul Station detect biological movements such as falls and breathing. This system eliminates safety blind spots and enables rapid emergency response without raising privacy concerns.

At the Siheung Rolling Stock Maintenance Depot, which maintains metropolitan electric trains, autonomous material transport robots and an ultra-high-speed data transmission system are now in operation.

Autonomous material transport robot at the Siheung Rolling Stock Maintenance Depot demonstrated by KORAIL based on a 5G private network

The autonomous material transport robots carry heavy materials and equipment and follow workers by detecting their movements, helping prevent injuries and creating a safer working environment for maintenance staff.

In addition, vehicle maintenance data—previously downloaded via wired secure USB devices—has been upgraded to wireless transmission over a highly secure 5G private network. Up to 7GB of data can now be transmitted within two minutes and thirty seconds, significantly improving operational efficiency.

Yoon Jae-hoon, Head of KORAIL’s AI Strategy Division, stated, “We will accelerate the AI transformation (AX) of railway services by fully adopting advanced technologies such as AI and 5G private networks.”