Press Releases(Archive)
FY2012 - FY2003

Adoption of Early Earthquake Warning System on Conventional Rail Lines in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area

East Japan Railway Company

November 6, 2007

  • JR East seeks to assure the safety of passengers on its conventional rail lines by installing seismographs along the lines. Depending on the size of the tremors, we may conduct ground facility inspections or institute train operation controls.
  • In order to further enhance safety, we are installing a Tokyo metropolitan area conventional rail line earthquake early warning system in the Tokyo metropolitan area. This will quickly stop trains if an earthquake occurs.
  • JR East has a Shinkansen early warning system that detects preliminary earthquake tremors (P waves) and immediately issues earthquake warning information. The Tokyo metropolitan area conventional rail line earthquake early warning system makes use of that information and emergency earthquake bulletins from the Meteorological Agency to bring trains to an emergency stop in those sections where it is necessary.
  • In order to assure still greater safety in the future, we plan to conduct studies of system enhancements that will provide greater certainty and speed in bringing trains to an emergency stop.
  1. Overview of the Tokyo metropolitan area conventional rail line earthquake early warning system

    Please see the attachment. [PDF/166KB]
  2. Starting date

    Use of the system is scheduled to begin on December 1, 2007.

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