Japan Freight Railway (JR Freight) on Wednesday halted operations on 7,000 container wagons to inspect vehicles suspected of data manipulation and other misconduct.
On Tuesday it was confirmed that data from a total of 564 container wagons had been tampered with. The following day more damaged wagons were found, leading to the suspension of all container freight train services.
The company said that when wheels were fitted to the trains’ axles, pressures of up to 10% above the maximum limit were applied, potentially weakening the axles. In some cases, data was falsified for inspection reports.
The misconduct was discovered during an internal investigation into the derailment of a freight train at Shin-Yamaguchi Station on the Sanyo Line in July. Data had been replaced for the lead car of the derailed train. According to the Japan Transport Safety Board, the axle of the lead car was broken and the detailed cause of the accident is being investigated.
JR Freight plans to inspect trains currently in service at each station to ensure that no vehicles affected by misconduct are being used. Operations will gradually resume after verification.
The Transportation Ministry on Wednesday conducted inspections at JR Freight facilities in Muroran on Hokkaido, Kawasaki and the city of Hiroshima, but said it could not comment on the causal link to the derailment “because the Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the matter.”
Authorities have launched a special safety audit and ordered an emergency inspection of all vehicles. Based on the audit results, the ministry will assess whether administrative measures are justified.
Added information from Jiji
