Inadequate Safety Monitoring Suspected over Fatal Train Accident

Utsunomiya, Tochigi Pref., Aug. 27 (Jiji Press)–Safety monitoring may have not been adequate in the work to remove weeds on railway tracks at a station in eastern Japan a week ago, during which four workers died after being hit by an incoming train, according to local police and the Japan Transport Safety Board of the country’s transport ministry. The accident occurred at Shin-Kanuma Station of Tobu Railway Co.’s Nikko Line in the city of Kanuma in Tochigi Prefecture around 10:45 a.m. Aug. 20. The four victims were from Tobu Construction Co., a Tobu Railway affiliate based in the Tochigi city of Nikko, and a subcontractor. They were hit by a Spacia X limited express train. At the time of the accident, there were a total of seven workers, including the four, on the tracks, and the other three evacuated onto a platform of Shin-Kanuma Station as they noticed the approaching train, investigative sources said Wednesday. A train lookout at the scene is believed to have signaled to the train driver the completion of evacuation of the workers engaged in the weed removal. Meanwhile, it has been found that there was a lack of communication between the lookout and “relay” lookouts several hundred meters from the site. According to Tobu Railway and other sources, a total of 10 people were involved in the work. Seven of them started to clear weeds on the tracks at the station around 10 a.m. Aug. 20. The other three were from a security service company. One of them was to be deployed near the station as a train lookout and the other two at railway crossings about 300 meters from the station as relay lookouts. Under the rules that apply when a train approaches during work on or near the tracks, a train lookout receives signals from relay lookouts by radio or flag and then informs the workers and gives signals to the train driver. After the evacuation of the workers is completed, the train lookout signals the driver by holding a yellow flag horizontally. If safety is not confirmed, a red flag is shown to the train driver. When the limited express train entered Shin-Kanuma Station, there were seven people on the tracks, and three of them evacuated by going up to the platform, the investigative sources said. According to Tobu Railway, the driver of the Spacia X saw a yellow flag signal from the train lookout about 200 meters ahead of the station. A relay lookout has said, “I was in a situation where I could not communicate with the train lookout.” But the detailed circumstances of the train and relay lookouts remain unknown. The Tochigi prefectural police are questioning the lookouts on a voluntary basis while raiding Tobu Construction on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]