Crack Found in Bullet Train

Japan Transport Safety Board, an internal organization in Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, identified the cancelation of a bullet train, or Shinkansen, in Nagoya Station on Monday as a grave incident, requiring thorough investigation. While the Board often makes investigation for airplane accident, it became the first case for Shinkansen to be categorized in grave incident. Credibility on Japanese high-speed train significantly declined.

The bullet train was running from Hakata to Tokyo on that day. When it left next stop of Hakata, Kokura, a train crew realized a strange smell like something was burnt, but the train went on. After some inspectors on board from Okayama recognized a strange sound in the train body, it did not stop running. But the conductor also found that burnt smell in Kyoto. When the inspectors investigated under the floor, they realized a leak of oil. The train was cancelled in Nagoya and about a thousand of passengers changed the train to go to Tokyo.

West Japan Railway Company discovered a crack in the truck of Car #13 and transmitter discolored. Japanese bullet train runs as fast as 300 km/h. It was possible that serious accident happened anytime while the train was running for four hours. The Board categorized it as a grave incident that might have caused fatal accident with major losses of passengers’ deaths.

The railway company was shocked with the crack in the frame of truck, which must have been made in a firm structure. If the frame had been distorted in its running, some part of the train could lose its grip and the cars would be derailed. Although Japanese Shinkansen experienced derailing three times since the Board was established in 2001, all of them were caused by great earthquakes. No bullet train was derailed with trouble in cars.

The Board also makes investigation on why the train kept running after the crew found strange phenomena in the cars. While JR West insisted on their decision that the incident could not be fatal, it is doubted that they ignored that being afraid of operational confusion in whole system of Shinkansen, which occupies major share of their profit.

When Shinkansen started its operation in 1964, the year of Tokyo Olympic, it was called Dream Super Express. It was the symbol of reconstruction from war devastation of Japan. Most Japanese are proud of the technology of that high-speed train. The incident significantly harmed their pride. Japan lost to China in the competition in high-speed train in Indonesia. Complete review is needed to regain the credibility on technology of Japanese train system.