Japanese Technical

Standards
Naoto YANASE
UIC, Senior Advisor High Speed
JR Group Paris Office, Deputy Director
Paris, France

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.
6 passenger railway companies
+
1 freight railway company
+
Other companies

Central Japan Railway Company

West Japan Railway Company
Shikoku Railway Company
Kyushu Railway Company

Network length
Shinkansen (1435mm)
12%

Conventional
(1067mm)
86%

Hokkaido Railway Company)

East Japan Railway Company

Japan Freight Railway Company

Mini-Shinkansen
(Conventional)
(1435mm)
1%

Total 12,483 miles (19,973km)

Railway Technical Research Institute

JR Information System
Japan Telecom (now, Soft Bank Telecom)

Definition of Shinkansen
a main line on which a train is able to run at over 200km/h* along
almost all the route (Nationwide Shinkansen Railway Development
*200km/h: 125mph
Act)
Mini-shinkansen routes with converted conventional lines are legally
conventional lines.

Shinkansen

Mini-Shinkansen
(Photo: running on Shinkansen track)

Shinkansen

: High speed rail in Japan

Conventional
line: Other than Shinkansen, including Mini-Shinkansen
3/17

Technical standards for Japanese Railways

Mandatory

Railway Operations Law

Laws
Ordinance of the
Ministry for Technical
Standards for Railway

Technical Standards
Guidelines

Interpretation Criteria

by the Government

These rules are applied both for

Shinkansen and conventional lines.
Railway companies have to set their own criteria,
Implementation Standards, based on the above.

Suggestion

Technical Standards for Japanese Railways

After revision
Mandatory

Before revision
Laws

REVISED
in March, 2002

Laws
Technical Standards

Technical Standards
Guidelines
the reference to create operators
Suggestion as
implementation standards

Laws and Ordinances covered

many rules in detail.

Laws and Ordinances covered

only principles of the rules.

Specification standards

Performance standards

Technical Standards for Japanese Railways

Before
revision

Mandatory

Now
Laws

Laws
Technical Standards

Technical Standards
Guidelines
Rules of Conventional Railways Structure
Rules of Shinkansen Railways Structure
Rules of Conventional Railways Operation
Rules of Shinkansen Railways Operation
Rules of Special Railways Structure

Total No. of articles

217

Suggestion

80
248
98
169

812

Ordinance of the Ministry for Technical

Standards for Railway
120

Total No. of articles 120

Example of the Revision

(In the case of radius of curve)
Before the Revision
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)
After the Revision
Ordinance of the Ministry for Technical Standard for Railway
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
Concerning Article 14. Radius of curve of the Shinkansen main track shall
be 400 meters or more.

Interpretation Criteria is only the guideline - You do not need

to follow these criteria if you can prove that operations
are safe.

Structure of technical standards between the

government and railway companies
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

Ordinance of the Ministry

for Technical Standards for Railway
Railway companies
Reference
Implementation
Standard

Interpretation Criteria
(No legal force)

Notification
(Internal) Design
standard etc.

Why did the Government revise the system?

Unchangeable principle : Safety as the top priority
Based on this principle, the autonomy of railway companies should
be respected.
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

- can adapt more easily to the progress of technologies.

- Must instead take responsibility for the results.

Change Rules for Implementation Standards

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

Ordinance of the Ministry

for Technical Standards for Railway
Railway companies
Interpretation Criteria

Reference

(No legal force)

Notification

Implementation
Standard

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.

Structure of Ordinance
Ordinance of the Ministry for Technical Standards for Railway
Chapter 1 General Rule
Chapter 2 Staff
Chapter 3 Guide Way
Chapter 4 Station and Halt
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 10 Train Operation

Structure &
maintenance
of
facilities & rolling stock

Particular rules for Shinkansen in Ordinance

Mandatory
Laws

Ordinance of the Ministry for

Technical Standards for Railway

Technical Standards

There is no big difference between Shinkansen

and Conventional lines EXCEPT

Guidelines

Suggestion

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.

Structure of technical standards in railway

companies
Railway companies
Implementation Standard
(Internal) Design standard etc.

Example in rolling stock

Ordinance
(government)

Rolling stock must not exceed the loading gauge. B

Imprementation
standard
(Railway co.)

Rolling stock must not exceed the loading gauge at B(conditions), Beven
with maximum load,B.

Internal standard
(Railway co.)

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

passengers at seat capacity, 60kg per person, B

Shinkansen loading gauge on

a straight track

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.

Certified railway company

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.)
15/19

High speed and law, Cases in Japan / 24 June 2010

Remarks
The Japanese government and operators have modified the standard
system so that laws / ordinances would not disturb each railway
companys efforts to enhance the safety and the service quality,
respecting companies autonomy.
Based on the Technical Standards and Guidelines, railway
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 much

for your attention