Japan’s Efforts to Ensure Safety of Railways
October 12th, 2010
Railway Bureau
MLIT
Contents of Today’s Presentation
○ Outline of Japan’s Railways and its Safety Level
・ Outline Picture of Japan’s Railways
・ Basic Figures of Railway Accidents
・ Comparison of Safety Level among Transport Modes
○ MLIT’s Efforts
・ Measures to Prevent Railway Accidents
・ Establishment of Japan Transport Safety Board
○ Amendment of the Railway Business Law in view of the Recent
Serious Accidents
・ Introduction of Railway Safety Management System
・Strengthening MLIT’s Capacity
・Amendment of the Ministerial Ordinance on Technical Requirement
Outline Picture of Japan’s Railways
Key Figures as of FY 2009
Length of
Network (km)
Total No of Passenger
（billion)
27,337
22.9
Railway Operator
No of Railway Operators
Category
JR（ex-JNR）
Osaka
Nagoya
Tokyo
Number
6
Private railway
176
Public railway
11
Freight railway
12
Total
205
Various Types of Japan’s Railways
Shinkansen(HSR)
Local Railways
Monorails(1)
Urban Railways
LRT
Monorails(2)
Subways
AGT(Automated Guideway Transit)
MAGLEV
Annual Change in the Number of Railway
Accidents in Japan
3,000
JR
[Number]
2,500
Private railway
Private
companyrailroad
2,441
Total
2,027
1,911
2,000
1,594
1,456
1,500
1,479
1,319
1,193
1,122
1,241
1,133
945
1,000
927
1,046
1,003 964 939 927 934
893
760
834
778
500
0
1979
1981
1983
1,180
881 843 833 847 857 849 892 849
688
851
587
649
1985
529
586
481
492
1987
1989
1991
1993
558 548 497 531
489 482 468 438 445 455 460 493 463
458
459 445
393
416 442 396 445 399 375 395 402 402 389 399 386
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
[FY]
2009
Annual Change in the Number of Casualties
caused by Railway Accidents in Japan
2,500
The collision on Shigaraki-Kogen
Railway Line in May 1991
( 42 dead and 614 injured )
[N of person]
2,195
Fatalities
Dead
The derailment on the JR West
Fukuchiyama Line in April 2005
( 107 dead and 562 injured)
2,000
Injured
The
injured
1,874
Total
Casualties
1,589
1,500
1,392
1,365
1,470
1,397
1,423
1,274
1,164
1,000
1,054
833
832
804
907
838
709
489
1981
1983
416
1985
413
1987
436
1989
751
1993
792
726 694
686
365
415
375
727 707
735
394 392
418
350 330 324
319 333 315
317
2003
2007
511
376
328
392
722
824
619
451
1991
953
714
444
559
458
0
1979
947
1,029
751
500 606
1,101
343
1995
313
349
360
1997
336
1999
311
2001
398 444 473
364
2005
[FY]
2009
Share of the Railway Accident Causes in Japan
Others
20
2.4%
Contact with train
on platform
144
16.9%
Fall from platform
49
5.8%
Human - contact
accidents
396
46.5%
Invasion into track
183
21.5%
Train accidents
10
1.2%
Property damages
1
0.1%
Total
851
Road accidents
91
10.7%
Accidents at grade
crossing
353
41.5%
Collision : ２
Derailments : ７
Fire： １
Comparison of Safety Level among Transport Modes
Train
Railway
54
22
Airflight
Aviation
51
Ship
Marine
No of casualties per 10B・pax・km
299
Car
Vehicle
10028
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000 12000
8
Measures to Prevent Railway Accidents in Japan
MLIT
・ Entry permission to run business and approval to implement construction.
・ Safety regulations for railway facilities, rolling stocks and railway operations
・ Train operator license
・ Regular safety inspection
・ On-the-spot investigation, analysis of the cause of accident and provision of
safety information in case of accident
Railway
Company
・ Introduction and observance of operational safety manuals
・ Education and training of staffs
・ Maintenance and replacement of railway facilities and rolling stocks
・ Accident report to MLIT and preventive or mitigating measures taking the lesson
from past accidents into account
Passenger
and
・ Observance of railway companies’ rules based on the Railway Operation Act
・ Prohibition of train operation obstructions such as invasion into tracks, throwing
stuffs into tracks and damaging railway facilities
the public ・ Prohibition of behaviors disturbing order in cars and penalty for such behaviors
Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB)
Investigation activities start upon a report from MLIT
Accident occurs
Fact investigation,
test/research & analysis
JTSB
Commission
Report
Submits a report to
MLIT and the public
＜Types of accidents subject to JTSB investigation＞
Train collision, derailment, fire and other accidents
claimed 5 or more death and critical incident
・Fact investigation through field
survey and data collection
・Test/research to reinforce analysis
of the cause of accident
・Analysis of factors and the process
accident occurred
Analysis of the cause of accident by
considering findings and the result of
tests and research
Recommendation
&
proposition
Conducting
interviews
with staffs
concerned
and technical
experts
If necessary,
・MLIT implements JTSB’s recommendation
in case that the same accident occurs.
・JTSB gives a proposal to a railway
company involved.
Introduction of Railway Safety Management System
Amendment of the Railway Business Law
・Introduction of Safety Management System for railway companies
・ Strengthening supervising function of MLIT
・ Compulsory publication of safety information
Amendment of the Ministerial Ordinance Concerning Technical
Requirements for Railways
・ Installing train speed control devices such as ATS and etc. at
tight curve segments
・ Installing a drive recorder on board and etc.
Outline of the Amendment of the Railway Business Law
1. Introduction of Safety Management
System for Railway Companies
Introducing Safety Management Rule which demands a dedicated
internal organization and methods for safety supervision
・Basic policies for ensuring safety, a dedicated internal organization for it,
safety information sharing and internal inspection
・Ways of its implementation for ensuring safety on business operation,
railway facilities and rolling stocks
Appointment of General Manager for Safety (Executive director
level)
・Advising additional safety measures to top executives of the company
・Properly managing railway facilities, rolling stocks and business operation,
and monitoring implementation of safety measures.
・Raising awareness of the importance of safety through top management
level to rank-and-file staffs.
Appointment of Manager for Railway Operation (Director level)
・Implementing proper management of train operation, maintenance and
management of train operator’s skills and etc.
Outline of the Amendment of the Railway Business Law
2. Supervision by MLIT
・ Direction to change Safety Management Rule in place and to
dismiss General Manager for Safety or Manager for Railway
Operation, if necessary
・ Penalty for failing to implement a direction from MLIT
3. Providing Safety Information to Passengers and the Public
Publication of Safety Information by MLIT
・Causes of accidents and progress of safety programs on railway operations
・Instructions to each railway company and recommendations based on the result
safety inspections
Publication of Safety Report by Each Railway Company
・Basic policy for securing safety and a dedicated internal organization for it
・Progress of implementing safety programs and plans for the future safety
Strengthening MLIT’s Safety Inspection and
Investigation Capacity in case of Railway Accidents
1. Strengthening Safety Management Capacity
・Staffing Safety Administrator at railway bureau, MLIT
2. Improving Safety Inspection Capacity
・Staffing Chief Railway Safety Inspectors and Railway Safety
Inspectors conducting safety inspection exclusively at Railway
Bureau and nine District Transport Bureaus, MLIT
3. Reinforcing Investigation Capacity for Railway Accidents
・Increasing the number of Railway Accident Investigators at
JTSB
Amendment of the Ministerial Ordinance on
Technical Requirements for Railways
（With effect from 1st July 2006）
① Installation of automatic speed control devices around tight
curves, switches and ends of track so as to prevent serious
accidents
② Installing an emergency braking system (EB) on rolling
stocks in case of such situation as a train operator falls in
unconsciousness or sleep
③ Installing a drive recorder on rolling stocks to collect related
data in case of a real accident
④ Improving the reliability of a train radio communication
system so as to emergency-stop other trains nearby and etc.
Thank you very much for your attention!