WCRR 2008 in Seoul to Bring
Together 700 Global Railway Experts

As the first non-G7 country to host the WCRR, Korea expects it to expedite its entry into the global market

The World Congress on Railway Research (WCRR) 2008 at COEX in Seoul will not just be an academic forum, but also an opportunity for Korea to gain momentum to enter the foreign railway market by revitalizing domestic railway research and development and acquiring state-of-the-art railway technologies, said Chung Heung-chae, head of the WCRR 2008 Planning Corps.
Chung said in an interview with NewsWorld, "Korean railway experts share the view that this congress will likely serve as an opportunity for Korea to join the 'inner circle'of foreign railway powerhouses and expedite Korea's entry into the foreign market. They say Korea will not only take a look into railway technology trends through exchanges of personnel and technologies, but also have an opportunity to publicize to the participants from Asian and other countries the experience and expertise Korea has accumulated through the construction of a high-speed railway and the development of high-speed rolling stock.
'Korea announced its bid to host the WCRR 2008 during the 5th WCRR 2001 held in Cologne, Germany. "The nation was awarded the right to host the congress as the first non-G7 country. I hope that our dream will come true again, as Korea achieved a legend during the 2002 FIFA World Cup,"he said.
Dreams aside, Korea launched the high-speed railway, dubbed "KTX"in 2004 to join the ranks of the top four high-speed powerhouses following Germany, France and Japan.
Hanvit 350, a high-speed train with a speed of 350 km per hour, will be shown under the technical visits program of this congress together with a tilting train. The new high-speed train has test-run 200,000 km for reliability and performance. One hundred and ninety Hanvit 350s, to be renamed KTX 2 in commercial operation, will be put on the newly built Honam Line, he said.
The exhibition, a side event of the WCRR 2008, will have 143 booths. Also at the event 290 papers, including 60 from Korea, will be presented. The following are excerpts from his interview.
Question: Will you introduce the history of the WCRR?
Answer: The WCRR is an international railway research congress with the UIC (Union International de Chemin de Fer) along with five members from advanced-railway countries of France, Germany, the United States, the UK, Japan and Italy. The launch of the WCRR was discussed at a workshop on railway research and development held in Tokyo in October 1992 under the theme, "The Present and the Future of Global Railway Research and Development."At that time, senior officials in railway research and development institutions in the United States, the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Japan exchanged views on the current situation and future prospects of railway research and development and discussed the necessity for the periodic hosting of a global railway research and development congress and its benefits. Since the first World Congress on Railway Research was launched in Paris in 1994, the WCRR has been held every two to three years, contributing to railway-related studies, research, industrial technology, industrial exhibition and exchanges of information.
The first WCRR was held in Paris, France in 1994; followed by Colorado Springs, Colorado, the United States in 1996; Florence, Italy in 1997; Tokyo in 1999; Cologne, Germany in 2001; Edinburgh, Scotland in 2003 and Montreal, Canada in 2006. The eighth WCRR will be held at COEX in Seoul from May 18-22, 2008.
The WCRR Organizing Committee comprises the Transport Technology Center, Inc., under the jurisdiction of the Association of American Railroads; the Rail Safety Standards Board; the National Railway of France; the German National Railway (DB); Italy's UTMR/Trenitalia; Japan's Railway Technical Research Institute and the UIC. The Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) will participate in the 2008 WCRR Organizing Committee. Korea's entry into the WCRR organizing committee and the executive committee, a body for decision-making and operation, signifies recognition of Korea's technology by the world.
The WCRR may be dubbed the "Olympics"or "World Cup"of the railway community in terms of size, composition and content. In other words, it can be the global railway community's largest academic and integrated festival that brings together experts from all railway areas.
Q: What is the significance of Korea's hosting the WCRR 2008 and what benefits does it bring with it?
A: The WCRR is usually composed of keynote speeches, paper presentations and technical visits on research and development trends and technology outcomes in the railway sector as well as an exhibition. Such countries as France, Germany and Japan have gained their railway powerhouse status by hosting the WCRR and have expanded their influence for entry into the global railway market. The congress has enabled the establishment of channels for the exchange of information and vitalizing by building up a human network of local technicians and foreign experts.
The 7-member WCRR Organizing Committee comprising the representatives from the United States, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the UIC held a meeting in London in April 2004 and unanimously approved Korea as the venue of the 8th WCRR, to be held in May 2008. Even though Korea indicated a willingness to host the WCRR during the WCRR 2001 held in Cologne, Korea's being awarded the right to host the WCRR 2008 was significant in consideration of the lack of aggressive activities to secure the right.
The host nations of the previous congresses are railway technology powerhouses. In reality, the six member countries that participated in the formation of the WCRR have alternated in hosting the congress. In this regard, Korea's winning the right to host the WCRR 2008 indicates that Korea has joined the exclusive club of the WCRR member countries.
The number of foreign countries that have so far participated in the WCRR averages roughly 40. If more Asian countries participate in the upcoming congress, as the WCRR 2008 Planning Corp. set as its goal for the WCRR 2008, it will be an opportunity for the WCRR to establish itself as a more full-blown international academic forum.
THE KOREAN DREAM WILL COME TRUE LIKE THE 2002 WORLD CUP LEGEND
The primary task of this congress is to hold an academic seminar suitable to the purpose of the WCRR in accordance with its tradition and precedents. Korea tacitly promised to respect these requirements when it was awarded the right to host the WCRR 2008.
I expect that about 290 papers to be presented during this congress will be highly qualitative enough to promote follow-up studies and technological development.
I hope that the WCRR 2008 will not just be an academic forum, but also an opportunity for Korea to gain momentum to enter the foreign railway market by revitalizing domestic railway research and development and acquiring state-of-the-art railway technologies. To this end, all concerned people from the Korean railway community, including KORAIL, the Korea Rail Network Authority (KRNA), Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) as well as the government and companies will have to provide support with a keen concern.
Korean railway experts share the view that this congress will likely serve as an opportunity for Korea to join the "inner circle"of foreign railway powerhouses and expedite Korea's entry into the foreign market. They say Korea will not only take a look into railway technology trends through exchanges of personnel and technologies, but also have an opportunity to publicize to the participants from Asian and other countries the experience and expertise Korea has accumulated through the construction of a high-speed railway and the development of high-speed rolling stock.
Japan made the most of its hosting of the 4th WCRR in 1999 to highlight the privatization of Japan Railway and the development of advanced railway technologies. It will be a more effective strategy for the Korean railway community to publicize its activities before many railway experts rather than through making individual contacts.
Korea announced a bid to host the WCRR 2008 during the 5th WCRR 2001 held in Cologne, Germany. The nation was awarded the honor to host the congress as the first non-G7 country. I hope that our dream will come true again, as Korea achieved a legend during the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Q: Will you tell us about prominent participants and themes of each research area?
A: Under the theme "Towards a Global Railway,"the WCRR 2008 will bring together about 700 railway experts from about 40 countries for a four-night and five-day run, and about 290 papers, including 60 from Korea, will be presented on all railway areas, including railway infrastructure, rolling stock and operations.
The WCRR 2008 will be divided into six major themes ― infrastructure, rolling stock, operations, system interaction, human factors and global railway issues.
Paper presentation will be made in oral and poster methods. Forty-eight oral sessions will present 188 papers, while 100 papers will be announced during poster sessions.
The WCRR 2008 has introduced the Experts Review Process to enhance the quality of papers to be presented. Three to four experts have been commissioned for each theme to review and assess the extracts before they are presented during this congress. nw

The 7th World Congress on Railway Research (WCRR) held in Montreal in 2006

Chung Heung-chae, head of the WCRR 2008 Planning Corps