Passengers collapsed with breathing difficulties at stations on the Gimpo Goldline light metro

Gurae Station bus stop is crowded with passengers on their way to work on the morning of the 18th, when train service between Unyang Station and Yangchon Station was suspended due to a malfunctioning electric train of Gimpo Metro (Gimpo Gold Line). The breakdown caused a dangerous situation as more than 10 passengers collapsed due to breathing difficulties. Yonhap News

Around 10 people collapsed with breathing difficulties at stations on the Gimpo Goldline light metro as many passengers flocked to the trains after trains were out of service during the morning rush hour on December 18. The metro, which links the suburbs to Gimpo International Airport station, is notorious for overcrowding.

According to the Gimpo city government, trains were delayed as a train, which was on its way to the Yangchon vehicle base from Geolpo Bukbyeon Station, was stopped due to some problems in its braking system at around 6:23 a.m.

As even a stand-by train that pulls the broken train stopped, the trains of the metro were delayed at all the stations for about 40 minutes from 7:24 a.m. to 8:07 a.m.

As trains, which usually come in every three minutes in rush hour, came every seven minutes on that morning, each station was packed with passengers who could not board a train on time.

At Gochon Station, two women, who were trapped by passengers on the train, developed breathing difficulties and were taken to the hospital for treatment. At Gimpo International Airport Station, 10 passengers complained of dizziness after getting off the train and had to rest for five to 10 minutes at the station before heading to work.

A passenger said, “There were so many people at the platform that I had to let three trains go before I barely got on the train,” adding "There were also dangerous situations like people trying to get on the train and people under strong pressure on the train shouting at each other." he said.

The Gimpo Goldline light metro has been dubbed "hell metro" for its overcrowding rate of up to 290 percent during rush hours. As universities began winter vacation, the density inside the trains has somewhat decreased recently, but the breakdown of trains caused severe congestion.

The metro posted an apology on its website, saying, "We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the partial suspension of service and train delays due to the breakdown of trains." It provided delay certificates to passengers who were late for work or school that day and also plans to refund passengers who could not board the train after paying the fare.

An official from Gimpo city government said, “There were some problems in the braking system of the trains, and even the stand-by train stopped on the hill, causing a disruption in train operation."

The Gimpo Goldline light metro has also reported a series of train failures last and this month, including reports of “burning smell in the train."
There are also growing calls for special measures.

Kim Joo-young and Park Sang-hyuk, lawmakers from the main opposition Democratic Party, pointed out that “Commuters in Gimpo were stranded on the metro due to the breakdown of the trains,” adding, “It was not too much to say that it was absolute chaos. Commuters stomped on their feet in the strongest cold wave and had to find alternative transportation to go to work.”

They also said, “It makes no sense that Gimpo citizens have to risk their lives to commute to work,” and urged the government to “rapidly come up with measures to disperse traffic in Gimpo and to deal with the overcrowding of the Gimpo Goldline light metro.”

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.