COMPLETION REPORTThe Influence of Japan Transport Safety Board(JTSB) on Railway Safety: A Comparative Study ofRailway Safety Supervision between Japan and Taiwan
Dr. Yung-Cheng Lai
Associate Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
Taiwan University
Safety is the most important concern for railway agencies and companies worldwide. The main purposeof this study is to perform a comparative study of the safety supervision structure in the railway sector between
Japan and Taiwan. One of the most distinct difference in the structure between Japan and Taiwan is theestablishment of the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) investigating accidents to clarify the causes ofaccidents/incidents in order to prevent recurrence. This comparative case study seeks to improve the understandingof the functions and impacts from JTSB on railway safety to provide lessons learned for Taiwan.
This research was carried out by reviewing several important history of accidents in railways andcountermeasures to realize safety in Japan and in Taiwan. The researcher then made the first oversee business trip
to Japan in Summer 2017 to interview with Prof. Akira MATSUMOTO at Nihon University, former Chairman ofthe Railway Subcommittee in JTSB, and Prof. Norio TOMII at Chiba Institute of Technology, experts in railway
operations and safety, followed by a visit to JTSB to meet Dr. Fumio OKUMURA, Chairman of the Railway
Subcommittee in JTSB. During this trip, the researcher established the basic understanding about the supervision
structure on railway safety in Japan, and background and functions of the JTSB. The researcher also made thesecond trip to Japan in December to attend the J-RAIL 2017 seminar at Niigata for technical background behind
railway safety and accidents. Besides the seminar, the researcher also visited several accident sites, including JRUetsu Line where the 2005 Uetsu Line Accident happened and Sendai station where the 2011 Shinkansen train
derailment took place. The visit to the Tohoku area in winter time also helps the researcher to understand how
tough the environment is for winter operations in Tohoku area. A third visit to Japan was conducted in early 2018
in order to understand the perspectives from the operators and additional visits to the accident sites. The researcher
visited Prof. Seiji ABE at Kansai University, expert in railway safety and accident investigation, and Mr. Atsushi
KAWAI, Director of Safety Research Institute of JR West. This interview helps the researcher to furthercomprehend the positive impact from the JTSB investigations to railway safety in Japan. Besides the interview, theresearcher also visited quite a few accidents sites during this trip, including the sites for 1962 Mikawashima train
crash, 1963 Tsurumi rail accident, and 2000 Naka-Meguro derailment in the Tokyo area, 2016 Geibi Line
Derailment in Hiroshima area, 2017 Hakubi Line derailment in Okayama area, and the distressful 2005
Fukuchiyama accident site in Osaka area.

Through this study, it is found that the establishment of the governmental accident investigation
organization (such as ARAIC and JTSB) is one of the most important keys to improve railway safety. Although
independence may be a concern, having JTSB underneath MLIT can facilitate hiring appropriate investigators, andaccelerate the implementation of the recommendations from the investigations. In addition, through thecooperative framework, the JTSB is able to obtain the technical support from organizations such as the Railway
Technical Research Institute (RTRI), National Traffic Safety and Environment Laboratory (NTSEL), etc.. In
Taiwan, an independent railway accident investigation body is still missing; therefore, it is recommended toestablish the official accident investigation body with technical support organizations to improve the railway safety
as soon as possible.
Publication of the Results of Research Project:
Verbal Presentation (Date, Venue, Name of Conference, Title of Presentation, Presenter, etc.)
15 July 2018, Invited Talk to the Railway Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications,
The Influence of Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) on Railway Safety, Yung-Cheng LAI.
Thesis (Name of Journal and its Date, Title and Author of Thesis, etc.)
Proceeding of the 25th Joint Railway Technology Symposium (J-Rail 2018), The Influence of Japan Transport
Safety Board (JTSB) on Railway Safety: A Comparative Study of Railway Accident Investigation between
Japan and Taiwan. (expected to be submitted in August 2018).
Book (Publisher and Date of the Book, Title and Author of the Book, etc.)