A completion ceremony is held for the above-ground overhead line improvement project on Incheon Metro Line 1. [Provided by Incheon Transit Corp.]
A completion ceremony is held for the above-ground overhead line improvement project on Incheon Metro Line 1. [Provided by Incheon Transit Corp.]

Incheon Transit Corp. has completed an overhaul of aging overhead line equipment at the Gulhyeon depot on Metro Line 1, strengthening the city's rail safety infrastructure.

The corporation held a completion ceremony at the Gulhyeon depot on Wednesday, attended by executives, employees and contractors, to mark the conclusion of the above-ground overhead line improvement project on Incheon Metro Line 1.

The project was undertaken to replace overhead line equipment that had deteriorated through years of use since Line 1 opened, securing stable power supply and improving the safety and maintenance efficiency of the facility.

The corporation invested about 8.4 billion won ($5.94 million) over five years from 2021 through this year, carrying out the work in phases.

At the core of the overhaul was the replacement of aging overhead line support structures. Existing concrete poles were replaced with steel pipe poles and assembled steel columns, boosting structural durability and eliminating safety risks that had accumulated from prolonged use.

Tension-adjustment devices — which keep the overhead wire at a constant tension — were also fully replaced. The old foreign-made units gave way to new domestically produced spring-type products, advancing the localization of related equipment and improving maintenance efficiency.

Maintaining proper wire tension is particularly critical to stable train operations, as overhead lines expand and contract with temperature changes.

The corporation expects the upgraded tension-adjustment devices to enhance both the ease of managing the overhead line system and the reliability of its operation.

With the project now complete, the corporation anticipates that the Gulhyeon depot's overhead line equipment will be structurally sound, the risk of power supply disruptions reduced and maintenance efficiency improved going forward.

"I am grateful to the employees and contractors who worked hard to bring this five-year improvement project to a successful conclusion without a single safety incident," Incheon Transit Corp. President Choe Jeong-gyu said. "We will continue to inspect and upgrade aging rail facilities so that citizens can use our urban rail network with confidence and peace of mind."


gilbert@heraldcorp.com