Train Derailment Accident, Between Sagoshi Station and Kita-Amarume Station, Uetsu Line, East Japan Railway Company
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Translated by T. A. Lab., Inc., Japan, Sept., 2019 RA2008-4 Railway Accident Investigation Report Train Derailment Accident, between Sagoshi Station and Kita-Amarume Station, Uetsu Line, East Japan Railway Company Adopted on March 27,2008, and published on April 2, 2008 by the Aircraft and Railway Accident Investigation Commission, Japan Railway Operator : East Japan Railway Company Accident type : Train derailment Date and time : About 19:14, December 25, 2005 Location : Between Sagoshi station and Kita-Amarume station, at around 158,158 m from the origin at Niitsu station, Uetsu Line, Shonai Town, Higashi-Tagawa District, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan Notes : 1. This manuscript is an English version of the railway accident investigation report issued by the Aircraft and Railway Accident Investing Commission, ARAIC, and translated by T. A. Lab. Inc., Japan. In this manuscript, the exact but complicated expressions in the original Japanese investigation report are partly revised and translated to relatively plain English for easy understandings. Therefore, this is NOT the official investigation report of the ARAIC. The original Japanese investigation report should be cited for the exact comprehension about the accident. 2. "The objective of the investigation conducted by the ARAIC, in accordance with the Act for Establishment of the ARAIC, is to determine the causes of a railway accident and damage incidental to such an accident, thereby preventing future accidents and reducing damage. It is not the purpose of the investigation to apportion blame or liability", as declared in the original investigation report issued by the ARAIC. 3. The following expressions were used as the terms to describe analytical results in the manuscript following the official translation of the investigation reports by the ARAIC. [1] "It is certain that ....." is used when the analyzed results can be declared. [2] "It is highly probable that ....." is used when the analyzed results are almost correct but could not be declared. [3] "It is probable that ....." is used when the analyzed results have high possibility. [4] "It is somewhat likely that ....." is used when the analyzed results have possibility. * All figures and photographs in this manuscript were quoted from the "Railway accident investigation report RA2008-4", issued by the ARAIC, and modified to translate Japanese descriptions into English. i Translated by T. A. Lab., Inc., Japan, Sept., 2019 CONTENTS 1. PROCESS AND PROGRESS OF THE RAILWAY ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION ......................... 1 1.1. Summary of the Railway Accident ......................................................................................... 1 1.2. Outline of the Railway Accident Investigation ....................................................................... 1 1.2.1. Organization of the Railway Accident Investigation ....................................................... 1 1.2.2. Implementation of the Investigation ................................................................................. 2 1.2.3. Comments from Parties Relevant to the Cause ................................................................... 2 2. FACTUAL INFORMATION ......................................................................................................... 2 2.1. Process of the Train Operation ................................................................................................ 2 2.1.1. Process of the Train Operation ......................................................................................... 2 2.1.2. Statements of the Train Crews ......................................................................................... 3 2.1.3. Statements of the Passengers Encountered the Accident ................................................. 6 2.1.4. Statements of the Traffic Dispatcher etc., in the Niigata Branch Office ........................ 11 2.1.5. Statements of the Crews of the Related Trains .............................................................. 13 2.2. Information on the Human Damages..................................................................................... 15 2.2.1. Summary of the Human Damages................................................................................... 15 2.2.2. Number of Casualties in each Vehicle ........................................................................... 16 2.2.3. Seated Positions of the Passengers etc. .......................................................................... 16 2.2.4. Status of the Dead Persons............................................................................................. 16 2.2.5. Status of the Injured Persons .......................................................................................... 17 2.2.6. Moved Status of the Passengers etc., by the Impact of the Accident ............................. 18 2.3. Information on the Physical Damages ................................................................................... 18 2.3.1. Damaged Status in the Tracks and the Railway Structures ............................................ 18 2.3.2. Damaged Status etc., of the Electric Power Related Facilities ....................................... 21 2.3.3. Damaged Status of the Vehicles ..................................................................................... 22 2.3.4. Damaged Status etc., of the Objects Except for the Railway Facilities and the Vehicles .................................................................................................................... 26 2.4. Information on the Train Crews ............................................................................................ 26 2.4.1. Information on the Concerned Driver ............................................................................ 26 2.4.2. Information on the Concerned Conductor ...................................................................... 27 2.5. Information on the Railway Facilities etc. ............................................................................ 27 2.5.1. Outline of the Railway Facilities .................................................................................... 27 2.5.2. Outline of the Electric Power Facilities etc., in Around the Accident Site .................... 28 2.5.3. Information Memories in the Level Crossing Protection Device ................................... 28 2.5.4. Train Protection Radio Device ....................................................................................... 29 2.5.5. Train Radio Device ......................................................................................................... 30 2.5.6. Anemometer ................................................................................................................... 30 2.5.7. The PreDAS .................................................................................................................... 31 2.5.8. Status of the Inspection etc., of the Railway Structures and the Tracks ........................ 31 ii Translated by T. A. Lab., Inc., Japan, Sept., 2019 2.6. Information on the Vehicles .................................................................................................. 32 2.6.1. Outline of the Vehicles ................................................................................................... 32 2.6.2. Structure of the Bogies ................................................................................................... 32 2.6.3. Remodeling of the Vehicles ........................................................................................... 32 2.6.4. Inspection of the Vehicles .............................................................................................. 33 2.7. Information on the Handling Train Operation ....................................................................... 33 2.7.1. The Limited Speed ......................................................................................................... 33 2.7.2. The Operation Control .................................................................................................... 35 2.7.3. Summary of Handling Operation in Abnormal Weather Condition .............................. 39 2.7.4. Implemented Status of Operation Control at the Occurrence of the Accident ............... 41 2.7.5. Measures at the Occurrence of the Accident .................................................................. 41 2.8. Information on Weather etc. .................................................................................................. 41 2.8.1. The Meteorological Summary on the Accident Day ...................................................... 41 2.8.2. Weather Observation on the Ground .............................................................................. 42 2.8.3. Observation of Wind Direction and Wind Speed in around the Accident Site .............. 43 2.8.4. Observation by the Meteorological Rader ...................................................................... 44 2.8.5. Observation by the Wind Profilers ................................................................................. 44 2.8.6. Damaged Status due to Strong Wind in around the Accident Site ................................. 45 2.8.7 Information from the Persons etc., Relevant to Weather etc., at the Occurrence of the Accident ............................................................................................................... 47 2.8.8. The Phenomena to Cause the Damages