More bad news for JR Hokkaido

[JR 500系]

Well, I guess this spells more bad news for JR Hokkaido, happened last night:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpDieSHQ-SA

 

I think the train caught fire in the Seikan tunnel, and left commuters stranded in the tunnel while awaiting rescue. 2 person were hospitalised... Commuters report seeing huge smoke in the car cabins...

 

JR Hokkaido was taught to have the highest level of customer service, but it seems they are always getting hit on train issues these months...

[Guest keio6000]

video removed :(

[katoftw]

i saw the video before its removal.  some under carriage piping had burnt near a bogie.  guessing small electric or chemical fire.  whatever it was, they were able to disable it and get the train moving again after passenger were gone.

[katoftw]

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/04/04/national/smoke-forces-evacuation-of-120-train-passengers-in-undersea-tunnel/#.VR_IbtyUeSo

[cteno4]

From profit of the way on jjtrains

 

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150404p2g00m0dm024000c.html

 

Nice diagrams

 

http://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/press/2015/150404-1.pdf

 

Jeff

[katoftw]

Are Mainichi and JapanTimes related?  Article is word for word.  Copy and paste? haha

[bikkuri bahn]

Are Mainichi and JapanTimes related?  Article is word for word.  Copy and paste? haha

probably the same wire service report.

[kvp]

It looks like the 3 main traction power wires burnt up. The cause can be mechanical insulation failiure or electrical overload and the fault/lack of overcurrent protection and warning to the driver about a traction system fault caused it to go unnoticed until it started smoking. Pretty normal in case of deferred maintenance. Considering this service could be removed once full shinkansen operations begin, they probably don't bother anymore to maintain the trains. Also it seems to me they don't have an automatic fire warning/extinguisher system for the traction equipment.

[bikkuri bahn]

Considering this service could be removed once full shinkansen operations begin, they probably don't bother anymore to maintain the trains.

They're planned to be shifted to Sapporo by 2017 to take over duties from the 785 series, which will then be scrapped.

[Demetrius]

One thing I learned is how they have "emergency stations" inside the tunnels in case of emergencies. This could have turned out much worse, but thankfully the crew and employees were professional enough to deal with the situation. Not surprised that all the equipment for evacuating is still up an going inside the tunnel. Over here in the states, this would've turned out horribly.

[kvp]

The emergency stations are used to build the tunnel and one of them was used as a normal station with a museum on the surface until conversion for shinkansen operations begun not long ago. They have to be operational for trains to be allowed inside the tunnel. The same is true for the channel tunnel between France and England, except that instead of two stations, there is a parallel service tunnel along the whole length with connecting fire doors to both main tunnels. This level of safety is a must for any longer tunnel, especially undersea ones.

 

What is bugging me is that trains operating in long tunnels should have some form of working equipment to detect (and possibly stop) any traction equipment fires. Considering this wasn't the first tunnel fire on a JR Hokkaido trainset, this equipment might be missing or it's not effective.

[miyakoji]

It's always seemed to me that the Japanese goal is to prevent maintenance and safety problems, rather than have some kind of after-the-fact response.  I wonder if there's been any more discussion of changes in their maintenance routines, weren't the other recent problems ascribed to this?

[Guest ___]

Poor JR-H, they seem to get slapped around with the worst luck in recent years.

[westfalen]

One of our maintenance guys here in Brisbane was telling me a while back that it used to be when one of our trains came in for a regular inspection just about everything that could be removed was replaced with a new or reconditioned one, these days things are not replaced until they fail.  JR Hokkaido could be going the same way by the look of things, maintenance is one of the first thing the accounting types look at when they want to reduce costs.

[bikkuri bahn]

What is bugging me is that trains operating in long tunnels should have some form of working equipment to detect (and possibly stop) any traction equipment fires.

 

A visual and audible warning indicator did go off three separate times prior to entering the tunnel (one being right after departure from Hakodate Station), however the warning quickly ceased, and the policy apparently is if the indicator returns to normal quickly, drivers are permitted to proceed.  The driver even contacted the dispatch/control center regarding the warning indicator, and was given permission to proceed.  This is based on a Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper report today.

[Robert46]

I think apart from the above issue the JR Hokkaido has faced, it is very interesting to see the progress and to know what will be the best solution for the Hokkaido Shinkansen Line opening..

 

The seikan tunnel itself, after I did reading some sources and watching some nice videos from youtube, is definitely one of the best construction projects in the world and definitely a pride of japan..

 

I'm sure they will find a solution to make the system running well, especially in sharing the line for the bullet trains, regular trains and freight trains.. interesting!