Train derails in Hyogo prefecture killing at least 49 people

[Elizabeth]

Every time I see the head of JR West on television I can't help but think that 20 or 30 years ago he would have taken a dive off a tall building by now. Or at least resigned.

Not that I'm saying I think he should jump, just that the culture of Japanese corporate management has certainly entered a new era.

As the scandals and negligence mount up they won't be able to continue making excuses like not grasping the situation or poor communication reports from employees at the site of the crash.

Although I'm not sure what his role if any in this was, tragically enough there has already been a suicide (兵庫労働局長が首つり自殺), the head of the Hyougo Bureau of Labor hung himself.

[Iron Chef]

Carrying on a company sponsored bowling tournament and drinking party despite knowing the seriousness of the accident at the time? Wow, these guys are shameless...

[Pachipro]

I heard the other day that news has come out that two other train drivers were catching a ride to work on the train which derailed. One was in car #4 and the other was in car #6. Neither was injured.

The reason they were in the news was that rather than assisting passengers on the wrecked train, they both left the scene and walked on to the next station and went to work.

I missed that. Thanks. That is so unfu*%ing believable, but so like the Japanese to follow unquestionably the orders of their superiors and the rules of the company no matter what. Had they stayed behind and assisted they would probably be national heroes. How could they even live with themselves after what they did? I hope they, and JR West get smeared all to hell in the papers and on the news. I don't know why it pisses me off being over here in the US, but it does.

[Elizabeth]

Carrying on a company sponsored bowling tournament and drinking party despite knowing the seriousness of the accident at the time? Wow, these guys are shameless...

How many people they knew were seriously injured I don't know....they certainly shouldn't be saying there was the possiblity it wasn't that serious, so we went ahead anyway.

[Mike Cash]

As Iron Chef pointed out, the news coming out about the bowling and drinking isn't helping then any. Every time I see the president of JR West on television he has this look of "Hey, I'm not the one who derailed the damned thing. Why do I have to put up with this crap?" on his ugly puss.

The news reported last night that the JR West goals for 2005 listed, in this order:

1. 稼ぐ
2. 目指す

The subtext under #2 talked about safety. Yes, they put making money ahead of safety. Not just in actual practice, but in their list of platitudes as well, which is unbelievable. One of the high muckety-mucks is on record as saying, in effect, "When it comes to safety and accident prevention, we'll try to prevent the big stuff, but we don't have enough money to even try to worry about it all...so screw the little stuff." I guess he never heard of the "....for want of a nail...." tale.

As each day goes by, something comes out that makes the entire upper management of JR West more and more despicable.

My son and I watched the news about this, and it was followed by disturbing footage and coverage of the North Korean missile tests. I told my son I found the JR West leadership more frightening than I do the North Koreans. After all, they and their ilk are a more present and imminent danger.

[Mike Cash]

Tonight's news reported that since the accident, JR West mangement (at various levels) have held a total of 17 events such as bowling, drinking parties, and golf tournaments.

Nice to know the derailment hasn't put a crimp in their social calendar. I still can't believe none of these ba5tards has jumped yet. And it is certainly doing nothing positive for my longheld negative view of Kansai people, which until now I had desparately wanted to believe was irrational and unwarranted.

[Elizabeth]

it is certainly doing nothing positive for my longheld negative view of Kansai people, which until now I had desparately wanted to believe was irrational and unwarranted.

I've always thought of Osakans as similar to Texans, garish and tawdry, loud and proud but never so negatively that they would do something as immoral as this. Either it is a sterotype and could have happened anywhere or I've not lived there for an extended enough period to discover any differently.

[Mike Cash]

A news article, interspersed with some inexact translated highlights for those who can't read the original (and maybe some commentary) by me:


尼崎事故車両、カーブ手前で時速１２６キロ

126km/hr before the curve

　兵庫県尼崎市のＪＲ福知山線事故で、事故車両は脱線 直前、カーブの制限速度の時速７０キロを大幅に超える時速１２６ キロを出していたことが７日、国土交通省航空・鉄道事 故調査委員会の調べでわかった。

Investigators determined the train was going 126 just before the curve, which was posted for 70.



　事故車両に搭載されている「モニター制御装置」の解析によって割り出したもので、１２６キ ロが出ていたのは、高見隆二郎運転士（死亡）が非常ブレーキを作動させたわずか５秒前と見られている。事故調で は、直前の伊丹駅でオーバーランした高見運転士が、ダイヤの遅れを取り戻そうとして無理な「回復運 転」をした結果、異常な高速でカーブに進入したと断定した。

5 seconds before he slammed on the brakes, the speed was 126. (Data from onboard recorder)

　速度データが残っていたのは、事故車両の運転台に搭載されていたモニター制御装置で、非常ブレーキの作動前５秒以降の速度などを自動的に記録する仕組 みとなっている。

　これまでに非常ブレーキ作動時の速度が１０８キロとわかっていたが、事故調 でさらに解析を進めたところ、モニターに記録されたカーブ手前の速度は１２６キロと判明した。

Before, they had calculated he was going 108, but further analysis of the data made it clear 126 was the actual speed.

　通常の運転では、遅くとも現場カーブ手前３８０メートルの地点では十分に減速を終え、カーブには時速６５キロ程度で進入している。

Normally, drivers slow down 380 meters before the curve, and enter the curve at about 65.

　今回の分析により、高見運転士はカーブ手前約２００メートル程度の地点でなお、通常では考えられない速度を出 していたことが判明。事故調では、速度超過が転覆脱線の主要因となったことが、ほぼ裏付けられたと見 ている。

At 200 meters before the curve, he was still flying down the track at 126. (Drivers normally slow down from a much lower speed at 380 meters, remember)
（読売新聞） - 5月8日3時5分更新


We all already know that he had overrun the previous station...by about 60 meters. And we all already know that he had overrun a station almost a year ago. But I have just been looking at some shocking articles on Yahoo Japan
(http://dailynews.yahoo.co.jp/fc/loca...yama_accident/) and have learned that the Itami Station overrun immediately prior to the accident was....get this....his THIRD OVERRUN of THAT TRIP. He overran the first station of the run when he brought the train into the station from the yard, and he overran another station between that one and Itami.

[Pachipro]

...and have learned that the Itami Station overrun immediately prior to the accident was....get this....his THIRD OVERRUN of THAT TRIP. He overran the first station of the run when he brought the train into the station from the yard, and he overran another station between that one and Itami.

Wow. Third overrun?? He must've been stoned or something. In all my years there I think I remember a train overrunning a station once. Thanks for the info MikeCash.

[Flashjeff]

Wow. Third overrun?? He must've been stoned or something. In all my years there I think I remember a train overrunning a station once. Thanks for the info MikeCash.

Stoned? Doubtful. More than likely those mistakes the driver made in overrunning those stations was due to his lack of experience, so he tried to make up for lost time by speeding, and the rest, sad to say, was history. Hopefully, lessons will be learned from this tragedy so it never happens again.

[Mike Cash]

Other stories report that he had mentioned to a friend the stress of being a driver for JR West (at least the stress of being a competent driver for JR West) and that he had been told the next time he screwed up he would be fired. We also know that on the Itami overrun he had asked the conductor to help him cover up the incident by vastly underreporting the distance of the overrun. One can't help but wonder how many other sympathetic conductors had in his short career helped him hide his lack of fitness for his job, thereby indirectly contributing to what I can't help but consider the slaughter of 107 innocent people, the wounding and maiming of hundreds more, the widowing and orphaning of God only knows how many people, immeasurable grief, suffering and anguish, financial costs of untold millions, and prolonged disruption of the commuter rail system.

[Kionon]

What are the differences in the railway systems? Are they really superfast?

[名無し]

And it is certainly doing nothing positive for my longheld negative view of Kansai people, which until now I had desparately wanted to believe was irrational and unwarranted.

I've always thought of Osakans as similar to Texans, garish and tawdry, loud and proud but never so negatively that they would do something as immoral as this.

JR West Employees Hit with Harassment Following Train Disaster



JR West
Series 207

[Kionon]

Ahem. I'm Texan and I am neither garish nor tawdry. Loud and proud maybe.