Lessons and Countermeasures

Learned by Japanese Railway

from Large Earthquakes

Hiroto SUZUKI
East Japan Railway Company (JR East)

Contents & Outline

1. Overview of railway and earthquakes in Japan
2. Hard countermeasures for Shinkansen
Lessons from three large earthquakes
Earthquake countermeasures learned from these earthquakes
Intended effect of implemented countermeasures

3. Soft countermeasures for Shinkansen

(Earthquake Early Warning System)
Earthquake Early Warning System for Shinkansen in JR East
Intended effect of this system (The Great East Japan Earthquake)
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Overview of Japanese Railways

Japanese National Railways (JNR)
6 passenger transport companies
+ 1 freight company
(JR)

JR Hokkaido

JR Line
171 Conventional lines
7 Shinkansen (Bullet train) lines Joetsu

JR East

Hokuriku

Shinkansen Line
JR Kyushu

JR West

Sanyo Osaka

Tokyo

Tokaido

Kyushu
3

Tohoku

JR Central
JR Shikoku

The majority of Shinkansen

rails are built on viaducts.

Earthquake Activity around Japan

Epicenter of the earthquake

Eurasia Plate

By Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion

8cm/year
Pacific Plate

The Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake

By Institute of Scientific Approches for Fire and Disaster

>M4, 1998-2007

3-5cm/year
Philippne Sea
Plate
By Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion

Three Recent Large Earthquakes

Japanese Railway experienced three large earthquakes in the last 20 years
and suffered serious damage.

Great East Japan

2011M9.0
Niigata Chuetsu
2004M6.8
Hanshin-Awaji
1995M7.3

Hard countermeasures for Shinkansen

The Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake 1995.1.17 5:46 M7.3

Topics
Viaducts suffered serious damage.
(Viaduct slabs fell down due to column damage.)

JR East started anti-seismic reinforcement for shear-failure

type. (The weakest seismic performance type)

The Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake 2004.10.23 17:56 M6.8

Topics
Shinkansen train derailed, but did not overturn. (Soft landing)
Intended effect of anti-Seismic reinforcement for viaducts columns.
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JR East accelerated anti-seismic reinforcement for viaduct columns.

The Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake 2004.10.23 17:56 M6.8

Derailed Shinkansen
L-type
wheel guide

JR East developed an L-Type wheel guide and started

installing them on all Shinkansen cars.

The Great East Japan Earthquake 2011.3.11 14:46 M9.0

Topics 1
No commercial Shinkansen trains
derailed.
No fatal damage in the viaducts
Anti-seismic reinforcement for shearfailure preceding type had been
completed in 2008.

Damage of viaduct columns

(Flexural-failure type)

But, flexural-failure type damaged. (The next-weakest seismic performance type)

JR East accelerated anti-seismic reinforcement for flexural-failure type
viaducts .
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The Great East Japan Earthquake 2011.3.11 14:46

M9.0

Topics 2
No commercial Shinkansen trains derailed, although one train not
carrying passengers derailed.
The train stopped in a situation in which L-type wheel guide caught on
the rail.
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Intended effect of L-type wheel guide

Soft countermeasure for Shinkansen

(Earthquake Early Warning System)

Seismic motion
of the Great East Japan Earthquake

Acc. (gal)

(gal)

3000

0
-1000

(gal)

-2000
-3000

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March K-NET(NS)
11 at K-net Tsukidate (NS)
3/11

2000
1000

3000
2000
1000
0

50

100

150

200

2700gal
Maximum
2700gal
2700gal

Observed by National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention(NIED)

1995JMA(NS)

Earthquake Early Warning System in JR East

Wayside seismometer
Coastal seismometer
Inland seismogram

Tohoku

Emergency brakes
Jouetsu

Earthquake

Hokuriku

Power supply is cut.

Transformer
substation Seismometer sends an alarm.
Earthquake
Seismometer
(Wayside)

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Seismometer
(Coastal) Seismometer detects earthquake wave

Seismometers are located wayside, coast, and inland.

Warning is issued when acceleration of earthquake wave exceeds threshold.
The emergency brakes are automatically applied and trains stop.

Operating of Tohoku Shinkansen in Mar. 11th 14:46

19 of 27 commercial Shinkansen trains were running.
3030B

No commercial trains derailed

3025B

59B

3028B

572gal

3027B
61B

1279gal

144B

898gal
63B
259B

563gal
665gal

3029B

690gal

Epicenter
574gal
537gal

14

141B
211B

56

65B

3024
140
526

3026B
142B

Epicenter

Earthquake Early Warning System in Earthquake

Tohoku Shinkansen, Hayate No.27(3027B) (271.3km/h)

Train Speed
(km/h)

270
240

100

Power supply was cut

Emergency brake were applied
Railway line seismometer
detected 40 gals

Coastal seismometer
Detected 120 gals

Maximum earthquake wave

arrived at Railway line

About
3sec. About
10sec.
About 70sec.
About 100sec

0m About About
200m 900m
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Running distance (m)

About
4000m

About
4400m

Conclusions

We make our best effort to enhance earthquake resistance by

hard countermeasures and performance of Early Earthquake
Warning System to improve the safety of the Shinkansen (and
conventional lines) in earthquakes.

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Thank you for your attention

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