https://asia.nikkei.com/Japan-Update/Crack-on-undercarriage-dents-bullet-train-s-safety-record
Crack on undercarriage dents bullet train's safety record
First-ever grave structural damage results in service cancellation
The bullet train in question was seen still parked at Nagoya Station at around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. © Kyodo
TOKYO -- For the first time ever, a shinkansen bullet train has developed a structural anomaly recognized by the Japan Transport Safety Board as a grave incident posing the risk of a serious accident.
The defect appeared Monday on the No. 34 Nozomi train during its run from the southern city of Hakata to Tokyo on the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen line. The train is owned by West Japan Railway.
The bullet train ran for around three and a half hours, producing an unusual smell and later an unusual noise, before it was finally decided to halt operations at Nagoya Station and transfer the 1,000 or so passengers to other trains. Upon inspection, a crack was discovered on one car.
The Safety Board has dispatched a three-person team to investigate and ascertain the cause. In labeling this a serious incident, the board used a designation that has never been applied since the formation of its predecessor, the Aircraft and Railway Accidents Investigation Commission, in 2001.
JR West presented this timeline for the incident: The Nozomi 34, with 16 cars, set off from Hakata Station at 1:33 p.m. Crew members first noticed a burning smell when the train departed Kokura Station around 1:50. Train maintenance staff boarded the train at Okayama Station, and although a growling noise was heard, the decision was made to proceed because the train seemed to be running fine. The conductor confirmed the strange odor as the train neared Kyoto Station around 4:20. Inspection of the undercarriage after 5. at Nagoya Station revealed leaking oil, and it was decided to suspend operation.
Monday night, a crack was discovered on the side of car 13's undercarriage. In addition, the coupling transferring torque from the motor to the wheels was found to be discolored.
Based on the report presented by JR West, the Safety Board determined that the damage to the car could have affected the safe operation of the train and designated this a grave incident. JR West plans to carry out detailed inspection to uncover the relationship between the crack and the smell and sound.
(Nikkei)
Crack on undercarriage dents bullet train's safety record
First-ever grave structural damage results in service cancellation
The bullet train in question was seen still parked at Nagoya Station at around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. © Kyodo
TOKYO -- For the first time ever, a shinkansen bullet train has developed a structural anomaly recognized by the Japan Transport Safety Board as a grave incident posing the risk of a serious accident.
The defect appeared Monday on the No. 34 Nozomi train during its run from the southern city of Hakata to Tokyo on the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen line. The train is owned by West Japan Railway.
The bullet train ran for around three and a half hours, producing an unusual smell and later an unusual noise, before it was finally decided to halt operations at Nagoya Station and transfer the 1,000 or so passengers to other trains. Upon inspection, a crack was discovered on one car.
The Safety Board has dispatched a three-person team to investigate and ascertain the cause. In labeling this a serious incident, the board used a designation that has never been applied since the formation of its predecessor, the Aircraft and Railway Accidents Investigation Commission, in 2001.
JR West presented this timeline for the incident: The Nozomi 34, with 16 cars, set off from Hakata Station at 1:33 p.m. Crew members first noticed a burning smell when the train departed Kokura Station around 1:50. Train maintenance staff boarded the train at Okayama Station, and although a growling noise was heard, the decision was made to proceed because the train seemed to be running fine. The conductor confirmed the strange odor as the train neared Kyoto Station around 4:20. Inspection of the undercarriage after 5. at Nagoya Station revealed leaking oil, and it was decided to suspend operation.
Monday night, a crack was discovered on the side of car 13's undercarriage. In addition, the coupling transferring torque from the motor to the wheels was found to be discolored.
Based on the report presented by JR West, the Safety Board determined that the damage to the car could have affected the safe operation of the train and designated this a grave incident. JR West plans to carry out detailed inspection to uncover the relationship between the crack and the smell and sound.
(Nikkei)
