Spads on Japanese Railway Network

[deas]

Hi everybody,

I have stumbled across the Japanese Transport Safety Board's statistic, and in the second table and third column, it states to have zero "Violations of Red Signals", since 2001.

Here is the link:
http://www.mlit.go.jp/jtsb/statistics_rail.html

I know they are good, but my guess that "Violating Red Signal" might not translate into our understanding of a "SPAD"?

I, unfortunately, can't find any other statistic proving any different!

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Interesting to know how tightly they would judge a SPAD. On the British network, a SPAD is counted even if the front car only passes by a few feet - most have no actual chance of causing a collision as they don't leave the "overlap" safety zone (183 metres beyond the signal in most cases).

 

[axlecounter]

Wouldn't be surprised if it was actually true. Besides, what are the security systems in place there?

 

[deas]

I'm not sure, but some of the line would have no lineside signals as it is a moving block system. But I doubt that all lines have a moving block system, including yards etc.
But then again, I'm not sure exactly what systems are used.

 

[WideRanger]

Hi everybody,

I have stumbled across the Japanese Transport Safety Board's statistic, and in the second table and third column, it states to have zero "Violations of Red Signals", since 2001.

Here is the link:
http://www.mlit.go.jp/jtsb/statistics_rail.html

I know they are good, but my guess that "Violating Red Signal" might not translate into our understanding of a "SPAD"?

I, unfortunately, can't find any other statistic proving any different!

The Amagasaki derailment in 2005 (which caused many deaths) involved a SPAD a few minutes earlier. So I suspect that each incident involving a SPAD is attributed to the most serious category - e.g. a SPAD which is connected to a derailment is put down as a derailment, not both a SPAD and a derailment. So to answer the question directly, the figures cannot be as they seem.

Having said that, I would expect the number of SPADS to be relatively low. As well as pretty universal use of ATS systems (on both moving block and fixed block signals sections) most companies use pretty intrusive warning sounds and digital voice instructions to the driver. These are really prominant in rural areas, where you can hear the on board computer warning the driver that (s)he has to stop half way down the front carriage of many trains.

 

[nottinghamcity]

The stand out is the worsening of level crossing accidents.

 

[upnorth71]

The Amagasaki accident was not a SPAD, but rather overspeed on a curve. The ATS system installed was not the latest version, which would have stopped the train before going over the designated speed limit.

I have rarely heard of SPADs occuring in Japan, probably due to the aforementioned ATS/ATC systems being universally installed. More common to hear of are platform overrruns, typically due to driver distraction. These are reported duly (sometimes even in the press if it causes considerable delay to rush hour services). It also is not a case of merely throwing the direction lever on the control stand and reversing the train back to the platform, but involves activating a special (tape sealed that must be broken) lever on the opposite side of the drivers cabin, that temporarily overrrides the train control system which otherwise would not permit a reverse move.