Dec 14 (NHK) - Officials from a Japanese train operator say a crack was found near the welded joint of one of the key parts and the undercarriage of a Shinkansen bullet train.
A crack and evidence of burns were found in the undercarriage of the Tokyo-bound Shinkansen train when it stopped in Nagoya, central Japan on Monday. The train was removed from service.
The officials from West Japan Railway Company, or JR West, say a crack appeared near the area joining the undercarriage and the axis spring, which is a stress area. The spring acts as a shock absorber.
They say no cracks had been found in the undercarriages of any of Shinkansen trains under its management. They add that the ad hoc inspection revealed no abnormalities in the other Shinkansen trains, including those of the same model.
JR West plans to move the train from Nagoya Station to a nearby carriage facility for inspection after they establish the ability to move it safely.
The government's Transport Safety Board has designated this the first "serious incident" involving a Shinkansen train, reasoning that it could have led to a derailment.
Transport ministry officials say the crack is more than 10 centimeters long.
Previously a crack in a train undercarriage caused a derailment in Japan. A 10-car commuter train derailed in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward in May last year. No one was injured but 180,000 commuters were affected.
Source: ANNnewsCH
