ed Stop the bullet train

Various accidents, caused by high-speed trains running between Seoul and Busan, have long ceased to attract much attention. Still, the state rail company went too far Friday when it kept passengers in a tunnel for more than an hour, as a KTX train broke down and stopped just five minutes from its destination.

More surprisingly, it was passengers who made 119 emergency calls to request rescue after being held captive for 68 minutes in the dark, stuffy train. All Korail did was to repeat monotonous calls for people to wait calmly, without even giving specific reasons for the delay.

Most astonishing was it was not the first time that a KTX train was trapped in the 20-kilometer tunnel, the nation’s longest. There have been four more similar, if shorter, incidents.

In addition to sudden breakdowns within tunnels, passengers of KTX trains have experienced numerous stoppages because of poor maintenance and inexperienced driving. There are even reports of drunken repairmen on duty and drivers who run on the wrong tracks by mistake.

The time has long past for the government to conduct extensive audits on Korail, and rectify problems even if it suspends services temporarily.