Japan: Kawasaki says faulty wheel-parts caused crack in bullet-train undercarriage
What's the story
The Japanese company behind the country's iconic bullet trains said it had supplied nearly 150 faulty wheel parts that could crack and potentially cause a derailment. Kawasaki Heavy Industries launched an investigation after a crack was found in its parts under one carriage of a "Shinkansen" (bullet-train) in December. "I apologize for causing great trouble and worries," said Kawasaki's President Yoshinori Kanehana. Here's more.
Details
Steel frames on bullet train undercarriage thinner than stipulated
Kawasaki Heavy Industries found that the likely cause of the crack (on a Shinkansen undercarriage) was that steel frames connecting the wheels to the chassis were thinner than regulations stipulate. It said similar problems were found in a total of 146 parts on bullet trains owned by two operators, which were reportedly exchanging them even though there were no immediate fears of cracks.
Crack discovered
About 1,000 passengers were aboard the bullet train
On 11 Dec'17, the crew aboard a bullet train reported a burning smell and strange noises when it pulled out of a station in southern Japan. The train stopped for checks at central Japan's Nagoya station and inspectors discovered the crack. If the train had continued to run, the crack could have caused it to derail in the worst-case scenario; passengers were unhurt.