Japanese Technical Standards

Naoto YANASE

UIC, Senior Advisor High Speed

JR Group Paris Office, Deputy Director

Paris, France

Hokkaido Railway Company)

East Japan Railway Company

Central Japan Railway Company

6 passenger railway companies

+

1 freight railway company

Shinkansen operation: JR companies• JR companies are private companies and successors of Japanese National

Railways• Passenger companies are also infrastructure owners.• All companies are independently administered.

Central Japan Railway Company

West Japan Railway Company

Shikoku Railway Company

Kyushu Railway Company

Japan Freight Railway Company

Railway Technical Research Institute

JR Information System

Japan Telecom (now, Soft Bank Telecom)

1 freight railway company

+

Other companies

Conventional

(1067mm)

86%

Mini-Shinkansen

(Conventional)

(1435mm)

1%

Shinkansen (1435mm)

12%

Total 12,483 miles (19,973km)

Network length

• “a main line on which a train is able to run at over 200km/h* along almost all the route” (Nationwide Shinkansen Railway Development Act)

• Mini-shinkansen routes with converted conventional lines are legally conventional lines.

Definition of Shinkansen

*200km/h: 125mph

3/17

Shinkansen : High speed rail in Japan

Conventional line: Other than Shinkansen, including Mini-Shinkansen

Shinkansen Mini-Shinkansen (Photo: running on Shinkansen track)

Railway Operations Law

Ordinance of the

Ministry for Technical

Standards for Railway

Technical standards for Japanese Railways

Laws

Technical Standards

Mandatory

Standards for RailwayTechnical Standards

Guidelines by the Government

Railway companies have to set their own criteria, “Implementation Standards”, based on the above.

Interpretation Criteria

SuggestionThese rules are applied both for Shinkansen and conventional lines.

LawsLaws

MandatoryREVISED

in March, 2002

Before revision

Technical Standards for Japanese Railways

After revision

Technical Standards

GuidelinesTechnical Standards

Suggestion

Laws and Ordinances covered

only principles of the rules.

Performance standards

Laws and Ordinances covered

many rules in detail.

Specification standards

as the reference to create operator’s

implementation standards

Laws

Technical Standards

Laws

MandatoryNowBefore

revision

Technical Standards for Japanese Railways

Guidelines

Technical Standards

SuggestionRules of Conventional Railways Structure 217

Rules of Shinkansen Railways Structure 80

Rules of Conventional Railways Operation 248

Rules of Shinkansen Railways Operation 98

Rules of Special Railways Structure 169

Total No. of articles 812

Ordinance of the Ministry for Technical

Standards for Railway

120

Total No. of articles 120

Rules of Shinkansen Railways Structure (Ordinance of the

Before the Revision

Example of the Revision(In the case of “radius of curve”)

Rules of Shinkansen Railways Structure (Ordinance of the Ministry ）

Article 9. The minimum radius of curve of the main track shall be 2500 meters. In prohibitive cases from the standpoint of topography, it could be 400 meters, taking train speed into consideration.

Example of the Revision(In the case of “radius of curve”)

Ordinance of the Ministry for Technical Standard for Railway

Article 14. Radius of curvature shall be set in order not to impair safe car

After the Revision

Article 14. Radius of curvature shall be set in order not to impair safe car operations, taking the performance capability of negotiating a curve, the operation speed, and other relevant factors into consideration.

Interpretation Criteria is only the guideline - You do not need to follow these criteria if you can prove that operations are safe.

Interpretation Criteria

Concerning Article 14. Radius of curve of the Shinkansen main track shall

be 400 meters or more.

Ordinance of the Ministry

for Technical Standards for Railway

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

Structure of technical standards between the government and railway companies

Interpretation Criteria(No legal force)

Implementation

Standard

Railway companies

Reference

Notification

(Internal) Design

standard etc.

Unchangeable principle : Safety as the top priority

Based on this principle, the autonomy of railway companies should be respected.

Why did the Government revise the system?

- can adapt more easily to the progress of technologies.

- Must instead take responsibility for the results.

The former laws and ordinances described the details.

→ It was impossible for railway companies to change their rules

by introducing new technologies.

→ The system of standards had been a barrier to improving

safety & service quality (that is, customer satisfaction).

As a result, railway companies

Ordinance of the Ministry

for Technical Standards for Railway

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

Change Rules for Implementation Standards

Railway companies

Reference

Notification

Actually they are nearly the same at the first stage

Railway companies can change the Implementation Standards,even if the change will not meet the Interpretation Criteria,

ONLY WHEN they can show the Ministry that the safety level will not decrease.

Interpretation Criteria(No legal force)

Implementation

Standard

Ordinance of the Ministry for Technical Standards for Railway

Chapter 1 General Rule

Chapter 2 Staff

Chapter 3 Guide Way

Structure of Ordinance

Structure &

maintenance

of

facilities & rolling stock

Chapter 5 Intersection with Road

Chapter 6 Electric Line Facilities

Chapter 7 Operation Safety Facilities

Chapter 8 Rolling Stock

Chapter 9 Maintenance of Facilities and Rolling Stock

Chapter 4 Station and Halt

Chapter 10 Train Operation

Particular rules for Shinkansen in Ordinance

There is no big difference between Shinkansen and Conventional lines EXCEPT

Ordinance of the Ministry for Technical Standards for Railway

Mandatory

Laws

Technical Standards

Guidelines

and Conventional lines EXCEPTSuggestion

Article 25. Shinkansen guide way shall be equipped with the devices to abate extreme noises generated from the high-speed operation, depending upon the situation or condition along the right of way.

Article 31. 2. Adequate devices shall be installed for Shinkansen to prevent persons from entering guide ways, except those areas such as bridges, tunnels and other hard to trespass structures.

Article 39. Shinkansen railway shall not intersect with roads at grade.

Article 71. Rolling stock to be used by Shinkansen shall abate extreme noise generated from high-speed operations. However, rolling stock used for accident recovery, testing of facilities, and inspection or maintenance is exempt from this standard.

Implementation Standard

Railway companies

Structure of technical standards in railway companies

(Internal) Design standard etc.

•Example in rolling stock

Rolling stock must not exceed the loading gauge. B

Rolling stock must not exceed the loading gauge at B(conditions), Beven

with maximum load,B.

Shinkansen loading gauge on

a straight track

B. Maximum load for Shinkansen must be assumed with 200% of

passengers at seat capacity, 60kg per person, B

Ordinance

(government)

Imprementation

standard

(Railway co.)

Internal standard

(Railway co.)

•Example in rolling stock

• JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards)

Some internal standards require the conformity of JIS

Certification of conformity to the national technical standard

•National government issues the certification of technical conformity.

•National government can certify “Certified railway company”.

High speed and law, Cases in Japan / 24 June 201015/19

•It is delegated authority from the government by the deregulation.

•It makes it possible to certify the conformity to the standard by qualified people inside the railway company.

•Some important parts remain to be certified by the government (braking system etc.)

Certified railway company

•National government can certify “Certified railway company”.

•Based on the Technical Standards and Guidelines, railway companies shall set their own Implementation Standards.

Remarks

•The Japanese government and operators have modified the standard system so that laws / ordinances would not disturb each railway company’s efforts to enhance the safety and the service quality, respecting companies’ autonomy.

companies shall set their own Implementation Standards.

•Railway companies have obtained much more freedom and responsibility to set high levels of safety and quality of service. This situation will support and motivate them to survive the competition with other transportation modes.

Thank you very muchThank you very muchfor your attentionfor your attentionfor your attentionfor your attention