According to reports from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, for the first time in the world, all high-speed rail lines in Japan will be equipped with a “third rail” to prevent trains from derailing during earthquakes.
“Third rail” is made of steel and measures 17.4 cm, slightly larger than standard rails. It is installed on the inner side of the track so that one of the train’s wheels is secured from both sides. This way, in the event of an earthquake, the train will not topple off the tracks.
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Shinkansen (or bullet train) is the type of high-speed train commonly used in Japan. |
The first railway to be fitted with the “third rail” will be the route with the highest traffic density in Japan, spanning 515 km, connecting Tokyo and Osaka, located in the central part of Japan’s main island, Honshu. The estimated cost for this project is up to 30 billion yen, equivalent to 270 million USD.
In fact, previously in Japan, an early earthquake warning system was often used to halt high-speed trains when there was a risk of a strong earthquake.
However, after a train derailment incident at the end of 2004 in Niigata caused by a strong earthquake measuring nearly 5.5 on the Richter scale, Japanese authorities were compelled to reassess their railway safety strategy.
