JR Freight Suspends Operations Due to Data Tampering

Staff Report

September 11, 2024

The Japanese freight railway company JR Freight suspended the operations of 7,000 container cars on Wednesday for inspection due to vehicles believed to have been affected by data tampering and other misconduct.

Following confirmation on Tuesday that data had been altered in 564 container cars, more affected vehicles were discovered the next day, leading to a halt in all container freight train services.

The company stated that pressures applied when installing wheels onto axles reached up to 10% of the maximum limit, potentially weakening the axles. In some cases, inspection records were also tampered with.

These misconducts were uncovered during an internal investigation following a derailment incident on the San’yō Line at Shin-Yamaguchi Station in July. The data for the lead car of the derailed train had been replaced. According to the Japan Transport Safety Board’s investigation, the axle of the lead car broke, and the exact cause of the accident is still under investigation.

JR Freight plans to inspect trains currently operating at various stations to ensure that no vehicles affected by misconduct are in use. Operations will be gradually resumed after verification.

The Ministry of Transport conducted inspections on Wednesday at JR Freight facilities located in Muroran, Kawasaki, and Hiroshima City, Hokkaido, but stated they could not comment on the causality of the derailment incident due to “the ongoing investigation by the Japan Transport Safety Board.”

Authorities have initiated a special safety audit and ordered emergency inspections of all vehicles. Based on the audit results, the Ministry of Transport will assess whether administrative measures are necessary.

Information provided by Jiji