Natural Disaster Countermeasures Conducted by East Japan Railway Company Susumu Hashizume Transport Safety Department East Japan Railway Company

Natural Disaster Countermeasures Conducted by East Japan Railway Company

Susumu HashizumeTransport Safety DepartmentEast Japan Railway Company

JR EastJR East

JR HokkaidoJR Hokkaido

JR CentralJR Central

JR WestJR West

JR ShikokuJR Shikoku

TokyoTokyoOsakaOsakaJR KyushuJR Kyushu

JR FreightJR Freight

JR Group MapJR Group Map

Shinkansen linesShinkansen lines

Outline of JR EastOutline of JR East

Conventional linesConventional lines

(As of 1 April 2008)(As of 1 April 2008)Number of employees Number of employees Working kilometers Working kilometers Number of stationsNumber of stations 　　 Total trains in Total trains in operation operation Number of cars Number of cars

61,90061,9007,526.8 km7,526.8 km1,7031,70312,667/day12,667/day13,00813,008

The ShinkansenThe Shinkansen

The ShinkansenThe Shinkansen

【 FY 】

【 No. of accidents 】

Fluctuations in the No. of AccidentsFluctuations in the No. of Accidents During Train Operations During Train Operations

176156

123 11695 86 73 72 75 71 69

5184

56 40 46 5774

32

5

814

2 37

13 3 4 3 1

2

3

13 2

64

2

124

130116

115 128108

12292 90 84 86 66

89

65

6468 47

5756

57

1

1

1

1

12

1

376

210 209

168 165 164 160

136 142152

121111

96

121136

92

247

240 247

287

3151.6

0.750.77

0.620.61 0.6 0.590.510.530.57

0.450.410.360.46 0.5

0.37

0.88 0.9

1.1

1.24

0

100

200

300

400

87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06

Accidents involving damage to property

Accidents involving personal injury or death

Collision, Fire, or Derailment

Accidents involving vehicles at level crossing

No. of accidents per 1 million train km

07

42

2

69

113

0.42

ContentsContents

1.1.Countermeasures forCountermeasures for EarthquakesEarthquakes

2.2.Countermeasures forCountermeasures for High WindsHigh Winds

3.3. Countermeasures for Countermeasures for Heavy RainHeavy Rain

ContentsContents


2.2.Countermeasures forCountermeasures for High High Winds Winds

3.3. Countermeasures for Countermeasures for HeavyHeavy RainRain

■■Date & Time:Date & Time: at 17:56, October 23 in 2004 at 17:56, October 23 in 2004

■■Seismic center:Seismic center: 　　 the Mid Niigata prefecturethe Mid Niigata prefecture （（ N37.3,E138.9N37.3,E138.9 ））

■■Magnitude:Magnitude: 　　 6.86.8

■■Damage to railway structures on Shinkansen line:Damage to railway structures on Shinkansen line:

　　　　・　　　　・ PillarsPillars （（ shear failureshear failure ））

　　　　・　　　　・ TunnelsTunnels

　　　　・　　　　・ BridgesBridges

■■Damage to railway structures on conventional lines:Damage to railway structures on conventional lines:

　　　　・　　　　・ Earthwork structuresEarthwork structures

　　　　・　　　　・ TunnelsTunnels

　　　　・　　　　・ BridgesBridges

■■Other damage:Other damage:

　　　　・　　　　・ Hydroelectric power plantHydroelectric power plant

Derailment of Shinkansen Train, Derailment of Shinkansen Train, Caused by the Niigata Chuetsu EarthquakeCaused by the Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake

NagaokaNagaoka

NiigataNiigata

UrasaUrasa

EchigoyuzawaEchigoyuzawa

MuikamachiMuikamachi

Uono-River bridgeUono-River bridge

Uonuma tunnelUonuma tunnel Myouken tunnelMyouken tunnelDerailed spotDerailed spot

Muramatsu viaductsMuramatsu viaducts

Wanatsu viaductsWanatsu viaducts

Structural Damage Structural Damage (Shinkansen Line)(Shinkansen Line)

⑩⑩⑨⑨⑧⑧⑦⑦⑥⑥⑤⑤④④③③②②①①

NIIGATANIIGATATOKYOTOKYO

←←UpUp

Down→Down→

Car #10Car #10（（ The head The head

carcar ））

・・ 22 axles were derailed 22 axles were derailed ・・ Car 1 went into the waterchannel, Car 1 went into the waterchannel, and the body sloped about 30 degreesand the body sloped about 30 degrees 　　　　

Up trackUp track(to Tokyo)(to Tokyo)

Down trackDown track(to Niigata)(to Niigata)

Car #1 Car #1 （（ The rearmost The rearmost

carcar ））

Outline of DerailmentOutline of Derailment

Car #1 Car #1 （（ The rearmost The rearmost

carcar ））

Rocking DerailmentRocking Derailment

Tremor

The body rollsfrom earthquake

tremor.

The wheel risesfrom the rail.

The flange landson the rail.

Tremor Tremor

Rocking DerailmentRocking Derailment

TremorＤ erailed!

Like a rocking chair

CountermeasuresCountermeasuresbeing taken by JR Eastbeing taken by JR East

for Earthquakesfor Earthquakes

Measures to Prevent Structural DamageMeasures to Prevent Structural Damage

Reinforcement work on viaduct pillars

Measures to Stop Trains Immediately

1. Improvement of

the Shinkansen Early Stage Earthquake Detection System

・ Change of method to estimate earthquake’s size

・ Addition of power transmission stop function according to earthquake’s size

・ Change of judgment index for train operation　　　　　　 (Maximum acceleration (unit ： gal )→ SI value (unit ： kine))

・ Addition of seismometers

at Occurrence of Earthquake

2. Installation of Power Failure Detection Device in Cars

Preventing Cars from Deviating off Track

L-shaped

Car Guide Equipment

Measures to

Prevent Breakage of Rail Joints

in a Derailment

Development of the rail fall arrester

ContentsContents


2.2.Countermeasures forCountermeasures for High WindsHigh Winds


■■Date & Time:Date & Time:

■■Train:Train:

■■Place:Place:

All six cars of the train derailed while

crossing a bridge over the Mogami

River. Three of the cars ended up

on their sides.

Fatalities: 5 Injuries: 33

DerailmentDerailment of Express Train on Uetsu Line of Express Train on Uetsu Line

19:14 ， December 25, 2005Between Sagoshi and Kita-Amarume stations, Uetsu Line

The Inaho No.14 Limited express, 6-car train

(from Akita to Niigata)

■■Outline:Outline:

■■Damage:Damage:

Uetsu line

Shinkansen lines

Conventional lines

Anemometer

Embankment 4 deck girder bridges

9 truss bridges

2nd Mogami River BridgeL=627m

Structure

Direction of

train

AnemometerEnoki Over-road BridgeSpot of Derailment

For Niigata For Akita

Embankment

Rough sketch of location

Stopped position

of the head ca

r

158k075m

158k338m

158k965m

Scene of Derailment

Countermeasures taken by JR EastCountermeasures taken by JR East

for High Windsfor High Winds

CountermeasuresCountermeasurestaken by JR Easttaken by JR East 　　 for High Windsfor High Winds

1. Tentative Revision of the Regulation (Wind Velocity)

2. Installation of Extra Anemometers

Before accident

March 2008 Increase

Conventional lines

228 543 +315

Shinkansen lines

89 149 +60

Total 317 692 +375

Wind Velocity

Normal Regulation Early Regulation

Reducing train speed 25 m/s ～ 30 m/s

20 m/s ～ 25 m/s

Stopping train operation 30 m/s ～ 25 m/s ～


3. Addition of Wind-Break Fences

Before accident March 2008 Increase

3 locations 14 locations 11 locations

4. Addition and Inspection of Regulated Sections


221 sections 228 sections 7 sections


5. Strong Wind Warning System


6 sections

on 1 line

69 sections

on 18 lines

68 sections

on 17 lines

※ 運転規制値が 30m/s の場合を例示

現行ルール

運転規制時間

強風警報システム

0

10

20

30

40

19:00 19:30

Win

d v

elo

city

[m

/s]

True wind velocity

30 minutes

Predicted maximum wind velocity

Before system

After system

Regulation time

Regulation value

Time


6. Trial of Method Applying Weather Information to Operation Control

Weather Chart Echo Strength Echo Top Altitude

【 Regulation Value 】1. Presence of a passing cold front2. An area in which the strength of a thundercloud has the potential of 80 mm/h rainfall or more is larger than 10 km2

3. The height of the thundercloud is more than 6,000 m


7. Strong Wind Prediction by Doppler Radar

　　　　　　　　　　 and Practical Use for Operation ControlResearch of the prototype system detecting a strong wind with a Doppler radar

＊ Study with　・ Meteorological Research　　 Institute 　・ Railway Technical　　 Research Institute　・ Kyoto University

Doppler radarat Amarume station

ContentsContents


2.2.Countermeasures forCountermeasures for Strong WindsStrong Winds


Derailment at Rokuhara StationDerailment at Rokuhara Station

■August 29, 1988, at Rokuhara Station on the Tohoku Line

■2 locomotives and 9 freight cars were derailed.

■An embankment over a river collapsed due to flooding by heavy rain.

Countermeasures taken by JR EastCountermeasures taken by JR East

for Heavy Rainsfor Heavy Rains

Disaster Alarm System (PreDAS)Disaster Alarm System (PreDAS)

Landslide Detecting SystemLandslide Detecting SystemEmbankment Collapse

Detection System

Cut Collapse

Detection System

Construction of Rain-Ready FacilitiesConstruction of Rain-Ready Facilities

Concrete lattice frames Sand stopper fences

Cover of tunnel

entrance and exitDrainage

Outflow37%/h

Rain1 2

3

practical precipitation

Short index

““Practical Precipitation” and Runnning RegulationPractical Precipitation” and Runnning Regulation3 practical precipitations with different half-life

Rain

Rain



Practical precipitation with half-life of 1.5 hours

Practical precipitation with half-life of 6 hours

Practical precipitation with half-life of 24 hours

Long indexMiddle index

Outflow3%/h

Outflow11%/h

2. Landslideat Shallow stratum

3. Landslideat deep stratum

1. Localized erosion

ConclusionConclusion

・ JR East has taken various measures in preparation of natural disasters after actual accidents.

・ Present measures do not yet guarantee absolute protection against natural disasters.

・ We continue to research and develop to improve safety measures along the progress of technology.

Thank you for your attention!!

Documents

Natural Disaster Countermeasures Conducted by East Japan Railway Company Susumu Hashizume Transport Safety Department East Japan Railway Company