Keihin Tohoku Line Accident

[Kokutetsu]

Railway Safety Slipping?

 

The Tokyu Toyoko line rear end crash and now this?!

 

Apparently at 1:11 on the morning of the 23rd an out of service 10 car keihin tohoku line train appears to have struck an engineering works trolley at Kawasaki (looks from photographs like overhead line equipment). The impact overturned the first car and derailed two others. The conductor (34) and driver (25) both escaped with minor injuries. The accident has resulted in the suspension of operations between Kamata and Tsurumi stations. See photos and full article at from Asahi:

http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASG2R0J1WG2QUTIL01W.html

 

More ATC issues?

[kvp]

Is just me or these modern emus seem to be too light and soft? It looks like a front end collision happened around the middle of the 2nd car (based on the debris), then half of the mow car and it's wooden load ended up under the train which went forward for another 1.5 car lengths, derailing on the wood. The strange thing is that the large emu got damaged so badly before turning on its side.

 

It's good that noone was seriously hurt, but i wonder if out of service trains operate under atc or not? Does the line's atc system use track circuits or it's just not implemented for the station turnout areas?

[yakumo381]

Is the MOW trolley on caterpillar tracks? See attached clips from reports. Was it left across the track or was it possibly crossing before the collision?

 

 

[westfalen]

The MOW vehicle does look like it is on caterpiller tracks but wheeled ones usually do not activate signalling track circuits either, the usual procedure is for train control place the signals at stop before giving authority for them to occupy the track. My guess is the operators of the trolley were on track before their authority commenced.

[Kokutetsu]

Westfalen,

 

It appears that you are quite right. The MOW operator said that the proper blocking procedure was not completed at the time and did attempt to move the vehicle before impact. According to JR East, the out of service train was traveling at around 60 kph at the time of the accident, and that the emergency brakes were applied about 100-200 meters from impact. It also appears that the train was running in the 'Up' direction on the 'down' line and all the cars had not even cleared the platform at Kawasaki station--I guess they really do accelerate very quickly! 

 

Also a nice video report: http://news.tbs.co.jp/newseye/tbs_newseye2134315.html

[miyakoji]

Is just me or these modern emus seem to be too light and soft?

This is how the 209 series design concept has progressed.  They're built lighter and cheaper, and the intention is to scrap them after a shorter service life (as compared to JNR-era stock) rather than refurbish them.  In the pictures, it looks like the body of the lead car deformed in such a way that the 3rd set of doors were crushed a bit.  The first set looks ok though, I wonder if the chassis is stronger there because of the attachment to the bogie.

[bikkuri bahn]

According to the newspaper reports, the Tokaido Line up and down lines, and the Keihin Tohoku Line down line had already been closed for passage of construction vehicles.  The Keihin Tohoku up line (Tokyo direction), was in the process of being cleared, to be instituted after the passage of the train in question (deadheading from Sakuragicho to the Kamata rolling stock depot).  Apparently the construction vehicle, which was crossing from the east side of the station to the west, entered the up line 2 minutes too early, leading to the collision.

 

As for carriage damage, as the construction vehicle (weight of vehicle 9.5 tons) was carrying steel structural members intended for station improvements, a collision with such a cargo at speeds of 40~60km/h would as a matter of course cause considerable damage.

[westfalen]

Westfalen,

 

It appears that you are quite right. The MOW operator said that the proper blocking procedure was not completed at the time and did attempt to move the vehicle before impact. According to JR East, the out of service train was traveling at around 60 kph at the time of the accident, and that the emergency brakes were applied about 100-200 meters from impact. It also appears that the train was running in the 'Up' direction on the 'down' line and all the cars had not even cleared the platform at Kawasaki station--I guess they really do accelerate very quickly! 

 

Also a nice video report: http://news.tbs.co.jp/newseye/tbs_newseye2134315.html

With our electric trains in Brisbane we can get up to 40 kph by the time the train has cleared the platform and that's with six cars so ten getting up to 60 kph is not surprising.

[Jcarlton]

The Dispatcher and who ever was responsible for operating this section of track should get a real talking to.  The MOW trucks should not have been given clearance to enter track until the train was clear and the track locked out.  The same thing happened here in CT last year when a trainee operator unlocked a track  and sent a train down right into a MOW crew.  The foreman was killed in that one.

[katoftw]

10 cars = 400 tonnes.  even slow speeds will still result in major damage.

[bikkuri bahn]

The Dispatcher and who ever was responsible for operating this section of track should get a real talking to.

 

They will have their actions reviewed, but I would think the operator of the construction vehicle will be the one looking for a new job.

[JR 500系]

Ouch... An accident will look bad on JR East records... Luckily there were no commuters on board. The E233 looks quite badly damaged in the ordeal...

[ToniBabelony]

JR East is now spamming the TV channels with maintenance and safety commercials. Not a coincidence I think. I can't find a video of it though.

[JR 500系]

Sorry for being very late on this one, but found a nice video on youtube covering the aspects of this incident:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayXssjR1_Hc

 

Seems JR East will make a throughout report and investigations as to why this happened.

 

And a video on the recovery process:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1TRENgfb1A

Edited April 5, 2014 by JR500 のぞみ