As extreme heat waves intensify due to recent climate change, railway rail temperatures now exceed 60°C during summer, increasing track deformation risks. This has necessitated speed restrictions, causing delays and raising safety concerns as a social issue.
The Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) (President: Sagong Myung) has developed the world's first "rail-mounted thermal-blocking textile with automated installation and retrieval system" to dramatically mitigate temperature rises on railway tracks during extreme summer heat.
Currently, rail temperature reduction during summer relies almost entirely on water-spraying systems, which have significant limitations: high installation costs and continuous water consumption. Therefore, a water-free, cost-effective alternative has been strongly needed.
KRRI's technology lowers rail temperatures by attaching a special heat-blocking textile to the rail using magnetic force to block solar radiation. The “heat-blocking textile” features a multilayer structure composed of a special coating that reflects more than 85% of solar radiation, combined with magnets and fiberglass layers. Once installed, the system requires no additional operating costs and poses no risk of failure, offering both stability and economic efficiency.
Field demonstrations were completed on the Gwangju Line of the conventional railway network in the summer of 2024 and on the Jungbu Inland High-Speed Line in the summer of 2025. The results verified a maximum rail temperature reduction of 10.9°C, with no performance degradation observed after testing. The technology was stably applied to both conventional and high-speed rail types*, and certified testing** confirmed outstanding durability, with performance maintained for more than 10 years.
* Rail types: Conventional railway rails weighing 50 kg per meter; high-speed railway rails weighing 60 kg per meter
** Certified testing: Korea Testing & Research Institute (KTR), certificates obtained on August 7, 2025 and October 17, 2025
KRRI also developed a fully integrated "all-in-one automated system" that covers the complete lifecycle from installation through retrieval of the thermal-blocking textile. The system enables all operations from cleaning foreign substances off rail surfaces, applying the textile, to retrieving it after the summer season with a single piece of equipment. Its modular design allows two operators to easily transport, assemble, and disassemble it, and the system can operate at speeds exceeding 2 km per hour, significantly reducing both time and cost.
KRRI verified the safety and durability of the thermal-blocking textile technology. The system remained secure even under strong opposing winds generated by KTX trains traveling at 300 km/h. The magnetic attachment force was optimized to withstand wind speeds of up to 66 m/s (1.5 times stronger than high-speed train-induced wind), and additional dual fastening mechanisms were applied to ensure that the textile remains firmly attached even during high-speed train operation.
The technology’s excellence was further recognized at the “2025 Seoul International Invention Exhibition (December 3 to 6, 2025, COEX Hall C, Seoul),” hosted by the Korean Intellectual Property Office and the Korea Invention Promotion Association. The thermal-blocking textile patent won the Grand Prize, and the automated equipment patent received the Silver Prize. Additionally, at the "2025 New Technology Commercialization Promotion Conference (December 10, 2025, Peace & Park Convention, Seoul)" hosted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Korea Industrial Technology Association, the technology obtained National New Excellent Technology (NET, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy Certification No. 1594), further validating its innovation.
* New Excellent Technology (NET): A certification system jointly operated by the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards and the Korea Industrial Technology Association, awarded to technologies that are newly developed in Korea or that significantly improve existing technologies.
KRRI has finalized a technology transfer agreement with PITCHCABLE Co., Ltd. (CEO: Lim Dong-wook) for the heat-blocking textile and its installation·retrieval technology, ensuring full linkage to commercialization and completing the research-to-application cycle.
This technology was developed as part of KRRI’s in-house research program under the National Research Council of Science & Technology (NST) (Chairman: Kim Young-sik).
※ Relevant Research Projects
Project Title: Five projects including the Development of an All-in-one, Railway Site-Specific System for Commercialization of Thermal-blocking Textiles
(Research Period: May 2022 ~ December 2025)
Principal Investigator: Chief Researcher Kang Dong-hoon
Chief Researcher Kang Dong-hoon at KRRI stated, “This technology goes beyond simply lowering rail temperatures—it presents a new paradigm for protecting railway safety in the era of climate crisis. We plan to expand its application beyond railways to various fields that require heat mitigation, such as building exteriors and roadside facilities.”
President Sagong Myung of KRRI said, “This is a demand-driven research outcome that allows the public to use railways with confidence even during extreme summer heat. In an era where climate crisis directly translates into national risk, we will further advance this technology to ensure safe railway operations and expand its application to overseas markets.”
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The Korea Railroad Research Institute(KRRI) is a government-funded research institute established in 1996 to contribute to the development of the nation and industry through research and development as well as diffusing research and development outcomes in the public transportation sector, such as railways, public transportation and logistics.
KRRI has successfully developed Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) running as fast as 430km/h; the KTX-Sancheon, a Korean high-speed train; light rail transit; an urban railway train; and a wireless tram. Recently, KRRI is operating a world-class comprehensive railway test center, its finished vehicles test facility and comprehensive railway test track in Osong, Chungcheongbuk-do.
KRRI will present a hope and vision for our future with more convenient and safer technology to enhance quality of life, while leading the era of the fourth industrial revolution with various technologies, such as a hypertube that runs as fast as 1,200km/h; 5G-based autonomous train driving system that allows control over trains through direct communications between them; railway technologies utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and big data; inter-Korean and transcontinental railway technology; smart maintenance technology; railway safety technology; and railway logistics technology.