UIWANG, South Korea – October 27 – The Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) (President: Sagong Myung) has developed a new concept called the “Smart Railway Logistics Terminal Model” to efficiently expand large-scale urban logistics infrastructure by utilizing railway land.

This model integrates rail and road logistics within a unified comprehensive logistics hub by leveraging the vertical space of railway land—such as tracks and adjacent areas—in densely populated regions like the Seoul metropolitan area, while applying advanced smart logistics technologies.

Although the need to utilize railway land for urban logistics has been continuously discussed, this model is significant in that it presents a specific and efficient automation-based solution for implementation.

Compared to road logistics, traditional railway logistics requires additional truck shuttle operations between departure/arrival points and freight stations, as well as loading and unloading between trucks and freight trains. These extra steps have made railway logistics less competitive in terms of both time and cost.

To restore the competitiveness of railway logistics, it is essential to simplify the additional transport processes, such as shuttle operations and cargo handling at railway stations, which currently increase time and cost.

This model simplifies the existing transportation process by establishing a “Smart Railway Logistics Terminal”—a comprehensive logistics center built directly above railway tracks where the upper space remains unused.

When a freight train delivers containers to the first floor of the terminal, overhead cranes and unmanned guided vehicles (UGVs) immediately transport them to the second floor, which serves as the smart logistics hub.

On the second floor, containers are unpacked, and the cargo inside is stored and distributed via trucks. Once emptied, containers are automatically transferred by UGVs to a storage area on the third floor.

In addition to the terminal’s architectural design, various smart railway and logistics technologies were incorporated, including an indoor movable overhead contact line, indoor overhead cranes, and large-scale unmanned transport vehicle systems.

*The movable overhead contact line enables electric locomotives to safely access the container loading area by shifting the catenary system after entry. This system allows the installation of contact lines even in previously limited areas, eliminating the need to replace electric locomotives with diesel ones for container operations.

This research was conducted as part of KRRI’s basic project under the National Research Council of Science & Technology (NST), titled “Development of a Smart Railway Logistics Terminal Strategy to Restore Railway Freight Competitiveness.”

With the introduction of multifunctional Smart Railway Logistics Terminal, trains are expected to secure a stronger competitive edge, even within Korea’s short-distance logistics environment.

The current research outcomes are scheduled to be presented in greater detail at the 2025 Autumn Conference of the Korean Society for Railway on October 30, 2025, at Maison Glad Jeju.

※Related Research Project
Project Title: Study on the Development of a Smart Railway Logistics Terminal Strategy to Restore Railway Freight Competitiveness
(Research Period: January 1, 2025 ~ December 31, 2027)
Principal Investigator: Lee In-mook, Director of the Railroad Operations Research Department of KRRI

Dr. Lee In-mook, Director of the Railway Operations Research Department of KRRI and the project’s principal investigator, stated, “We plan to comprehensively validate the Smart Railway Logistics Terminal model and apply it on a pilot basis to railway land in the Seoul metropolitan area in 2026, with the goal of developing it into a fully practical and commercializable model.”

President Sagong Myung of KRRI said, “This achievement represents a citizen-centered research outcome that addresses the growing need for efficient urban logistics infrastructure through the use of railway land. KRRI will continue to contribute to strengthening national logistics competitiveness and increasing the railway’s share of freight transport through the development of advanced railway logistics technologies.”

※Attachment: Image of the Smart Railway Logistics Terminal Model





Press Contacts

Sunghyun Baek
Korea Railroad Research Institute
baeksh@krri.re.kr
+82 31 460 5162