nntsuzu/KFTT huggingface dataset:
English: For Shinkansen between Nagoya and Shin-Osaka, the route through the Suzuka mountain range was in the initial plan, but was abandoned due to constraints on the cost, technology and the period of work needed and was changed to the one via Sekigahara Town.
Japanese: 東海道新幹線の名古屋-新大阪間経路は、当初計画した鈴鹿山脈経由ルートが費用や技術、工期の制約から断念され、東海道本線同様に関ケ原町を経由するルートに変更されていた。
English: The area around Sekigahara is located in a valley at a high altitude, and heavy snow falls in winter there.
Japanese: 関ヶ原周辺は谷間で高さも高く、冬期には激しい降雪のある地域でもある。
English: Research about operating high-speed trains in such a section in winter was not able to be sufficiently completed before starting operation.
Japanese: このような区間を冬期に高速列車で通過する状況の研究が、開業前には十分に行えなかった。
English: This caused frequent train-car failures that were generated due to the snow stuck to the train-cars in the Sekigahara area in the first winter after operation started in 1964.
Japanese: このことは、1964年の開業後初めての冬期に関ヶ原での着雪による車両故障を頻発させる原因となった。
English: This Kamonomiya section was constructed as a section to be used later in actual operation, so that the facilities constructed for the tests would not be useless after operation started.
Japanese: この鴨宮モデル線区は、開業後も設備が無駄にならないよう、建設中の路線の一部を先行完成させて利用する手法が採られた。
English: Therefore, this test section was included in the Shinkansen line (a portion between Shin-Yokohama and Odawara) when the line started its operation.
Japanese: このため、東海道新幹線開業に当たっては、その一部に組み込まれている（新横浜駅-小田原駅間の一部）。
English: This method of constructing a test section was followed by the Oyama test line of Tohoku Shinkansen line and the maglev test line as well.
Japanese: この手法は後続の東北新幹線の小山実験線や、リニア実験線にも踏襲されている。
English: The A-organization trains and the B-organization trains became 941 type emergency relief trains and 922-0 type comprehensive electronic railway test trains, respectively, both being made useful later as well.
Japanese: A編成は救援車941形に、B編成は電気軌道総合試験車922-0形となり、それぞれ役立てられる事になる。
English: The 941 type trains were put out of service, but the 922-0 trains were used until 'Doctor Yellow' based on 0 series trains were introduced later.
Japanese: 941形は全く活躍することなく廃車となったが、922-0はその後0系を元とした｢ドクターイエロー｣が登場するまで生き永らえた。
English: On October 1, 1964, the Tokaido Shinkansen line started its operation meeting the opening of Tokyo Olympic Games
Japanese: 1964年10月1日に、東京オリンピックの開催に合わせて東海道新幹線が開業した。
English: In addition, 0 series Shinkansen electric train-cars dedicated for the line were developed and were used in actual operation (-> refer also to the revision of the JNR train schedule on October 1, 1964).
Japanese: 併せて専用の新幹線0系電車が開発され、営業に投入された（→1964年10月1日国鉄ダイヤ改正も参照）。
English: In the Japanese pavilion in the New York World's fair held in New York, the United States, from April 22 prior to the start of operation (1964), a mock-up of the train was exhibited, showing Japan's high technological level.
Japanese: なお、開通に先立つ同年4月22日からアメリカ合衆国のニューヨークで開催されたニューヨーク万国博覧会(1964年)の日本館に実物大モックアップが展示され、日本の技術力を誇示した。
English: When operation started, the trains were operated at the maximum speed of 200 km/s (with operation of the 'Hikari' and that of the 'Kodama trains taking four and five hours, respectively, between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka).
Japanese: 開業当初の営業最高速度は200km/h（東京-新大阪間「ひかり」4時間、「こだま」5時間）。
English: Waiting for the railway bed state to stabilized, operations at 210 km/h were started in the next year (three hours and ten minutes for 'Hikari' and four hours for 'Kodama' between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka) (-> refer also to the revision of the JNR train schedule on October 1, 1965).
Japanese: 路盤の安定を待って翌年に210km/h運転（同「ひかり」3時間10分、「こだま」4時間）を開始した（→1965年10月1日・11月1日国鉄ダイヤ改正も参照）。
English: Between Tokyo and Osaka, two big cities in Japan, making a day trip became possible from 1958 using the limited express on the regular railway line, but the time allowed to stay at the trip destination was limited to only two hours.
Japanese: 日本の二大都市である東京-大阪間は、1958年から在来線の特急で日帰り可能になっていたものの滞在時間がわずか2時間余りしか取れなかった。
English: However, when the Shinkansen line started its operation, it became possible to stay long enough at a trip destination, changing the social structure drastically.
Japanese: しかし新幹線の開通により、日帰りでも滞在時間を充分取れるようになり、社会構造に著しい変化を及ぼした。
English: With demands for business and leisure being generated, the initial 12-train-car organization of the Tokaido Shinkansen line was expanded to a 16-train-car organization at the opportunity when the Japan World Exposition '70 started in 1970, establishing a firm position as a high-speed and volume transportation system.
Japanese: ビジネスやレジャーの新しい需要を喚起し、東海道新幹線においては当初の12両編成が、1970年の日本万国博覧会の開幕を機に16両編成まで拡大され、高速大量輸送機関としての確固たる地位を確立した。
English: On the other hand, JNR was forced to continue making investments in various facilities, such as for constructing Shinkansen, for increasing the number of limited express trains and express trains and furthermore, for increasing the commuter-transporting capacities (for example, the five-direction strategy).
Japanese: その一方で、新幹線の建設や特急・急行列車の増発、さらには都市部における通勤輸送増強（通勤五方面作戦など）などの設備投資に追われた。
English: Therefore, JNR's balance fell into the red from 1964 when the Shinkansen line started its operation, and the deficit amount continued increasing after that, and it is said that, as a result, the construction of the Shinkansen line was one the causes of the bankruptcy of JNR.
Japanese: このから、新幹線の開業した1964年度から国鉄収支は赤字に転落し、以後それは拡大する一方となって、結果的に新幹線建設は国鉄破綻の1つの原因となったと言われる。
English: For this, Yoshiyuki KASAI, chairman of the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) refuted in a book he wrote that 'The Shinkansen line was constructed with only internally reserved money and borrowed money, and the cost has been recovered only by the train fares and other charges, and therefore, it is wrong to say that the construction of Shinkansen triggered the bankruptcy of JNR.'
Japanese: これに対し、東海旅客鉄道の葛西敬之会長は著書の中で「東海道新幹線はあくまで内部留保された資金と借金で建設資金をまかない、それらを運賃・料金収入のみですべて回収したものであり、新幹線建設が国鉄破綻の引き金を引いたという認識は誤りだ」と指摘している。
English: Anyhow, for JNR thereafter, Shinkansen became an important revenue source.
Japanese: いずれにせよ、以後の国鉄において、新幹線は重要な収入源ともなっていく。
English: After that, following the Tokaido Shinkansen line, construction on the Sanyo Shinkansen line was started in 1967 in the form of extending the Tokaido Shinkansen line, to drastically increase transportation capacity of the Sanyo main line, transportation demands for which had also increased, as well as to increase the transportation speed on the line.
Japanese: その後、東海道新幹線に続いて、同じように需要の増加していた山陽本線の抜本的輸送力改善と高速化を目的として、1967年に東海道新幹線を延伸する形で山陽新幹線が着工された。
English: The Shinkansen line started operation up to Okayama on March 15, 1972 and up to Hakata on March 10, 1975 (-> refer also to the revision of the JNR train schedule on March 15, 1972 and March 10, 1975).
Japanese: 1972年3月15日に岡山まで、1975年3月10日には博多まで開業した（→1972年3月15日国鉄ダイヤ改正・1975年3月10日国鉄ダイヤ改正も参照）。
English: In 1971, construction on the Tohoku Shinkansen line and that to construct the Joetsu Shinkansen line started, and the work for the Narita Shinkansen line, as an access route to Narita airport which was under construction, also started in 1974.
Japanese: 1971年に東北新幹線と上越新幹線が着工され、1974年には建設中の成田国際空港へのアクセス路線として成田新幹線も工事に入った。
English: It happened to coincide with the time when Prime Minister Kakuei TANAKA proposed 'Nippon Retto Kaizo-Ron' (Building a New Japan) for promoting the development of land in Japan, and it seemed that the construction of these Shinkansen lines could progress smoothly.
Japanese: 折しも田中角栄内閣総理大臣によって、国土開発を促進する「日本列島改造論」が提唱され、整備は順調に進むかに見えた。
English: However, the construction of the Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansen lines met protest campaigns against it, difficulties in procuring necessary land and also met an abnormal amount of water flow in tunnel excavation work.
Japanese: だが、実際には東北・上越新幹線反対運動による用地買収の難航やトンネル工事での異常出水などがあった。
English: Therefore, the completion of the former two Shinkansen lines was delayed by five years from the plan, and the work to construct the Narita Shinkansen line was stopped (however, the facilities constructed for this Shinkansen line were used later when JR East and Keisei Electric Railway Co., Ltd. built a railway line to access Narita airport).
Japanese: このため、前者2つの新幹線は予定より工事が5年も遅れ、成田新幹線に至っては工事中止となってしまった（ただし、後に東日本旅客鉄道と京成電鉄の成田空港乗り入れの際にこの新幹線建設で作られた設備が生かされることになる）。
English: Environmental pollution problems due to noise and vibration along Shinkansen lines became serious around this time (for example, the environmental pollution caused by Shinkansen trains in Nagoya).
Japanese: また、新幹線沿線での騒音・振動による公害問題がこの頃深刻化した（名古屋新幹線公害など）。
English: In addition, due to repeated fare hikes corresponding to the deterioration of JNR's finance and the frequent occurrences of strikes because of labor troubles, the number of passengers on existing Shinkansen lines tended to decline.
Japanese: さらに国鉄財政の悪化に伴う運賃・料金値上げの繰り返し、労働紛争によるストライキの頻発化などから、既存新幹線の乗客が減少傾向に陥った。
English: Then affected by the business operation problems and labor troubles, no technical innovation was achieved, and the progress and advancement of Shinkansen became stagnant for a while.
Japanese: そして経営問題と労働紛争の影響から技術革新も見られなくなり、新幹線の発展・発達は一時停滞した。
English: In 1982, the Tohoku Shinkansen line and the Joetsu Shinkansen line started their operations, with Omiya used as the departure and arrival place (-> refer also to the revision of the JNR train schedule on November 15, 1982 and the new Shinkansen relay train), and in 1985, the operations of those lines were at last extended to the central Tokyo area (Ueno) (-> refer also to the revision of the JNR train schedule on March 14, 1985).
Japanese: 1982年に大宮発着という暫定的な形で東北新幹線と上越新幹線は開業し（→1982年11月15日国鉄ダイヤ改正・新幹線リレー号も参照）、1985年には用地買収の関係で遅れていた都心（上野）乗り入れを果たした（→1985年3月14日国鉄ダイヤ改正も参照）。
English: However, with the burden of the construction of these Shinkansen lines added as well, the finance of JNR reached a catastrophic situation, leading to the division and privatization of JNR in 1987 the by Yasuhiro NAKASONE Cabinet.
Japanese: だが、国鉄財政はそれら新幹線の建設費負担も重なって遂に破局的状態となり、中曽根康弘内閣の下で断行された1987年の国鉄分割民営化に至るのである。
English: In the division and privatization of JNR, it was decided that the Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansen lines should be operated by JR East, the Tokaido Shinkansen line by JR Tokai, and the Sanyo Shinkansen line by JR West.
Japanese: 国鉄の分割・民営化後、東北・上越新幹線は東日本旅客鉄道、東海道新幹線は東海旅客鉄道、山陽新幹線は西日本旅客鉄道の運営とされた。
English: However, initially, the facilities were owned by the Shinkansen Holding Corporation, a third class railway enterprise, and each JR company operated the corresponding line or lines borrowing the railways as a second class railway operator.
Japanese: しかしながら、当初設備は第3種鉄道事業者の「新幹線保有機構」が保有し、各会社が第2種鉄道事業者として路線を借り受けて運営する形とした。
English: Maintenance cost of Shinkansen lines were shouldered by each JR company, and the Shinkansen Holding Corporation collected only the fees of lending the facilities.
Japanese: 新幹線の保守費用は各社が負担し、新幹線保有機構は設備の貸し代だけを受け取るものであった。
English: The objective of this scheme was to compensate the red finance of the JR companies in other regions with profit from Shinkansen operations.
Japanese: その目的は、利益の出る新幹線事業によって赤字となる他地域JR会社への補填を行うことであった。
English: However, when the business operations of the three JR companies described above became stabilized and listed their shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and others came into sight, the following problems arose: With the lending fees being paid corresponding to the amount of traffic, the business operation efforts of each company could not be reflected in its business performance, and the amounts of assets and liabilities could not be fixed.
Japanese: しかし、前記JR3社の経営が安定化して、東京証券取引所などへの株式公開が視野に入ると、輸送量に応じて貸し賃が変わるこの制度のままでは会社の営業努力が反映されないことや、各社の資産・債務の額が確定できないことなどが問題視されるようになった。
English: Then in 1991, at last, the system was changed so that each of the railway companies should buy up the facilities in 60 annual installments from the Railway Development Fund, which was reorganized from the Shinkansen Holding Corporation.
Japanese: 結局1991年に制度を変更し、各鉄道会社が新幹線資産を新幹線保有機構を改編した鉄道整備基金から60年賦で買い取ることにした。
English: Shinkansen-related activities had been stagnant both in the technical aspect and in the business aspect for a while, but, after the privatization and separation of JNR, active activities, such as introduction of new train-cars and new railway system styles came to be seen.
Japanese: 分割・民営化後、技術・営業面で停滞していた新幹線も新型車両の登場、新形態など積極的な流れが見られるようになった。
English: As a typical example, JR East introduced mini-Shinkansen lines in the following way, without constructing new railways meeting Shinkansen specifications (full specifications): Existing regular railways were modified, new train-cars dedicated for the railways were manufactured and these trains were enabled for operation through both Shinkansen lines and regular railway lines.
Japanese: 後者の代表として、JR東日本は新幹線規格（フル規格）の線路を新規に建設することなく、既存の在来線を改良し、専用の車両を新造したうえで、新幹線と在来線が直通運転できるようにしたミニ新幹線を整備した。
English: In 1992, 400 series Shinkansen train-cars were manufactured and the Yamagata Shinkansen line started operation between Fukushima Station (located in Fukushima Prefecture) and Yamagata Station of the Ou main line; In 1997, E3 series Shinkansen train-cars were manufactured and the Akita Shinkansen line started operation between Morioka Station and Akita Station on the Tazawako line and the Ou main line; in 1999, E3 series 1000 - 1999 Shinkansen train-cars were manufactured additionally and the section between Yamagata Station and Shinjo Station of the Ou main line started operation as an extension of the Yamagata Shinkansen.
Japanese: 1992年に新幹線400系電車を新造し、山形新幹線として奥羽本線の福島駅(福島県)-山形駅が、1997年に新幹線E3系電車を新造し、秋田新幹線として田沢湖線・奥羽本線の盛岡駅-秋田駅が、1999年に新幹線E3系電車1000番台を増備し、山形新幹線の延伸として奥羽本線の山形駅-新庄駅が、それぞれ順次営業運転を開始した。
English: JR West made the railway section to the comprehensive railway yard for Sanyo Shinkansen used for passenger train-cars as well, and started operation of the Hakata-Minami line between Hakata Station and Hakata-Minami Station in 1990 using trains-cars for Kodama trains and as limited-express trains on regular railway lines.
Japanese: JR西日本は山陽新幹線博多総合車両所への車庫線を旅客線化し、1990年に博多南線として博多駅-博多南駅を、こだま号に使用される車両を用いる在来線特急という形態で営業運転を開始した。
English: However, from towards the end of the JNR era (-> refer also to the revision of the JNR train schedule on March 14, 1985 and also to the revision of the JNR train schedule on November 1, 1986), the speed was increased gradually, and now in 2008, the maximum train speeds have reached 270 km/h on the Tokaido Shinkansen line, 275 km/h on the Tohoku Shinkansen line and 300 km/h on the Sanyo Shinkansen line.
Japanese: しかしながら、国鉄末期頃（→1985年3月14日国鉄ダイヤ改正・1986年11月1日国鉄ダイヤ改正も参照）から次第に向上されるようになり、2008年現在では東海道新幹線で270km/h、東北新幹線区間で275km/h、山陽新幹線区間で300km/hに至っている。
English: In addition to increases in the train speed, to further reduce the traveling time between major stations, efforts have also been made for shortening the stopping periods at stations and for maintaining high speeds between stations as long as possible, although the amount of time reduced with these measures is at a level counted in minutes.
Japanese: また時速アップ以外にも、停車駅での停車時間の短縮や、停車駅間の速度を出来るだけ高速度で維持するなどして、僅かな分単位ながら主要駅間の時間短縮を図る工夫もされている。
English: The work to construct the projected Shinkansen lines, which had remained stopped towards the end of the JNR era, were restarted, and the Tohoku Shinkansen line (between Morioka and Hachinohe in 2002), the Hokuriku Shinkansen line (as the Nagano Shinkansen line in 1997) and the Kyushu Shinkansen line (between Shin-Yatsushiro and Kagoshima-Chuo in 2004) started their partial operations, respectively.
Japanese: 国鉄末期に建設が凍結されていた整備新幹線は工事が再開され、東北新幹線（盛岡-八戸・2002年）・北陸新幹線（長野新幹線・1997年）・九州新幹線（新八代-鹿児島中央・2004年）が部分開業した。
English: This is because, in and after the bubble economy era, the price of land in large cities rose steeply, and many came to live in the suburbs from where they could commute to their offices or schools if using Shinkansen (mostly in Tochigi Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture and the east part of Shizuoka Prefecture for commuting to offices or schools in Tokyo).
Japanese: これは、いわゆるバブル景気以降の大都市における地価の高騰で、新幹線で通勤・通学が可能な郊外（主に東京への通勤・通学を目的に栃木県、群馬県、静岡県東部が多い）の住宅に住む人が増えたためである。
English: Starting with selling commuter passes for Shinkansen in February 1983, the number of companies offering commuter passes for Shinkansen increased, and in addition, the limit of nontaxable income for commuter passes given by companies was raised, accelerating this trend.
Japanese: 1983年2月の新幹線定期乗車券販売開始をきっかけに、新幹線通勤定期券を支給する企業の増加、さらに企業が支給する通勤定期券代の所得税非課税限度額の引き上げがそれに輪をかけた。
English: Shinkansen trains in the morning and in the evening became congested with commuters, and train schedules for commuters became provided.
Japanese: 朝・夕の新幹線においては通勤客で混雑が激しくなり、通勤客向けのダイヤも設定されるようになった。
English: As a measure for this situation, JR East introduced two-level train-cars, which were called Max and were provided with lots of seats, increasing the number of passenger seats per train-car drastically.
Japanese: これに対応してJR東日本ではMax(鉄道車両)という多座席型の2階建車両を投入し、1列車あたりの定員を大幅に増やした。
English: During the 40 years since the Tokaido Shinkansen line, the first Shinkansen line, started operation on October 1, 1964, no fatal passenger accident (due to the Shinkansen) has occurred on the Shinkansen.
Japanese: 1964年10月1日に最初の新幹線である東海道新幹線が開業して以来、40年以上に亘って新幹線に乗車していた乗客の（新幹線に起因する）死亡事故は発生していない。
English: Many suicides by jumping on railway tracks occurred, and a person was caught by a train-car door, dragged and killed (refer to the passenger-falling-down accident at Mishima Station in 1995).
Japanese: 投身自殺による死亡例は多数発生しており、またドアに乗客の手を挟んで引き摺り死亡させたケース（1995年、三島駅乗客転落事故を参照）はあった。
English: However, these were not caused by fundamental defects of the Shinkansen system itself, and are considered exceptions.
Japanese: しかしながら、これらは新幹線システムそのものの根本的欠陥に起因する事故ではないため例外と考えられた。
English: The system to secure the safety of Shinkansen has been operated securely and has been maintained regularly.
Japanese: 新幹線の安全を確保するシステムが的確に運用され、恒常的に維持されてきている。
English: However, although no fatal accident have occurred, a few accidents that might have led to serious ones occurred in the past.
Japanese: しかし死者こそ生じなかったものの、重大な事故に至る一歩手前の事態は過去に何度か発生している。
English: In 1973, a deadhead from the Osaka operation station (Torigai railway yard) was derailed; On September 30, 1991, the Hikari 291 train (100 series Shinkansen electric train-cars, a x train-car organization) ran up to Mishima Station with the wheels locked (or not rolling), at the speed of 225 km/h, the maximum speed for which ATC was enabled; In 1991, a lump of concrete dropped on a train passing through the Fukuoka tunnel of the Sanyo Shinkansen line in 1999; All of these were considered serious examples badly affecting safety.
Japanese: 1973年に東海道新幹線の大阪運転所（鳥飼基地）からの回送列車が脱線した事故、1991年9月30日のひかり291号（100系X編成）が、車輪が固着したまま三島駅までATC頭打ち速度（225km/h）で走行した事例、そして1999年に山陽新幹線福岡トンネルで通過中の列車に福岡トンネルコンクリート塊落下事故等は、安全確保に悪影響を及ぼす事例と考えられ、重大視された。
English: These accidents exposed the fact that, in the construction boom in the high-growth period in the middle of the 1960s and later when the Sanyo Shinkansen was built, hasty and sloppy work existed in various portions of the Shinkansen lines.
Japanese: これらの事故は、山陽新幹線が建設された昭和40年代以降、高度成長期の建設ブームのもと、促成による手抜き施工が新幹線工事でも随所で行われていたことを露呈させた。
English: On the Yamagata Shinkansen line where through operation with the regular railway line has been introduced, accidents at railway-crossings between Tsubasa trains and cars have occurred frequently.
Japanese: また在来線と直通運転する山形新幹線では、つばさ(列車)号と自動車との踏切事故がしばしば発生している。
English: These cases would be included in the category of daily accidents on regular railway lines rather than those on Shinkansen lines.
Japanese: この様なケースは新幹線の事故というよりは、在来線での日常的事故の範疇に属するものである。
English: However, they are also the cases that are always brought to mind as a problem related to high-speed through operation of Shinkansen train-cars on regular railway lines.
Japanese: しかしながら、新幹線の在来線直通における高速運転の課題として常に想起される事例でもある。
English: On April 20, 1965, approx. six months after the Tokaido Shinkansen line started operation, an earthquake of magnitude 6.1 occurred, centered on the estuary of the Oigawa River, Shizuoka Prefecture, destroying railway mounds there.
Japanese: 東海道新幹線が開業してから約半年が経過した1965年4月20日、静岡県の大井川河口を震源とするマグニチュード6.1の地震が発生し、静岡市周辺の盛り土が崩れた。
English: Immediately after it occurred, all trains on the line were stopped, and no serious damage was incurred, also because the number of trains operated was small (two trains an hour in one direction).
Japanese: 発生直後に全ての列車の運行を停止し、運転本数が少なかったこともあり（1時間に片道2本）大きな被害は出なかった。
English: However, Masao SAITO (manager of the operating train department of then JNR and a railway engineering expert) who was responsible for the train operation said as follows.
Japanese: しかし、当時の運行責任者であった斎藤雅男（元国鉄新幹線運転車両部長、鉄道工学の専門家）次のように言っている。、
English: At that time, the solidity of the railway bed became loosened, and the railway mounds were caved in some portions.'
Japanese: 「当時は雨の影響で地盤が弱くなっており、大きく陥没していたところもあった。」
English: If a train ran into the portion where the mound was destroyed, the train would have been derailed, causing a serious accident.'
Japanese: 「仮に崩れた路盤上に列車が来ていたら間違いなく脱線して大惨事になっていた。」
English: By the way, slab tracks are used in some sections of the Sanyo Shinkansen line, Tohoku Shinkansen line, and Shinkansen lines constructed later.
Japanese: なお、山陽新幹線の一部区間と東北新幹線以後の新幹線にはスラブ軌道が採用されている。
English: In the 1990s and later, many big earthquakes occurred in Japan, and vulnerability of high-speed railway lines to earthquakes was pointed out.
Japanese: 1990年代以降、日本国内における大きな地震災害の多発により、高速鉄道の地震に対する脆弱性が指摘される様になった。
English: In the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake that occurred on January 17, 1995, elevated bridges of the Sanyo Shinkansen line in the earthquake-stricken areas were damaged, with some portions of them falling down, stopping operation between Shin-Osaka Station and Himeji Station for over 80 days.
Japanese: 1995年1月17日の阪神・淡路大震災では、被災地域において山陽新幹線の高架橋が破損・一部落下し、新大阪-姫路間が80日間に亘り不通となった。
English: The occurrence of the earthquake early in the morning, at 5:46 before the train operation of the day started, saved serious accidents due to train operation from occurring.
Japanese: 地震発生は午前5時46分で、この日の営業運転が始まる前であったため、惨事には至らずに済んだ。
English: Furthermore, in the Niigata Chuetsu earthquake on Oct. 23, 2004, serious damage was inflicted on the Joetsu Shinkansen line.
Japanese: さらに、2004年10月23日の新潟県中越地震においては、上越新幹線が甚大な被害を受けた。
English: In addition to the damage that was inflicted on structures, such as elevated railways and tunnels, the Toki 325 train on the Joetsu Shinkansen line (a ten train-car organization, the K25 organization of 200 series Shinkansen train-cars) was derailed while running at a speed of approx. 200 km/h immediately before reaching Nagaoka Station.
Japanese: 高架やトンネルなどの構造物に損傷が発生したほか、上越新幹線列車の「とき(列車)325号」（10両編成、新幹線200系電車K25編成）が長岡駅の手前付近を約200km/hで走行中に脱線した。
English: On the Joetsu Shinkansen line, Compact UrEDAS, which was a customized version of the Urgent Earthquake Detection and Alarm System 'UrEDAS,' was employed.
Japanese: 上越新幹線には地震感知システム「ユレダス」をカスタマイズした「コンパクトユレダス」が採用されていた。
English: However, in the 'Toki 325 train' case, the train could not stop before having been damaged, although the brake was applied immediately after a preliminary tremor (an earthquake wave) was detected, because the earthquake occurred just under the train.
Japanese: しかし、「とき325号」のケースでは通過地点でほぼ直下型の地震であったため、初期微動（地震波）検知後にブレーキをかけたものの地震の被害を受ける前に停車する事はできなかった。
English: Due to shocks of the derailment at a speed of 200 km/h, the rails were damaged seriously, for example, most of them disconnected from the track beds, and some were bent.
Japanese: この200km/h走行時の脱線の衝撃で、レールの多くは道床の締定が外れ、一部のレールはねじ曲がるなどの大きな被害を受けた。
English: Ordinarily, when a train is struck by an earthquake of this magnitude at a place close to the earthquake center, it is considered impossible to escape from being derailed even if the train has stopped.
Japanese: 通常、列車がこの規模の地震に震源地付近で直撃された場合、例え停車していても脱線は免れ得ないと考えられる。
English: In this case, however, although having been derailed, the train escaped from being overturned as a whole and no fatal nor serious physical damage was inflicted.
Japanese: しかしながら、この事例では脱線したとはいえ編成全体の横転などには至らず、死者・重傷者などは奇跡的に生じなかった。
English: It is easy to imagine that, if these two trains collided head-on, a serious accident would have been caused.
Japanese: 対向車と正面衝突していれば重大な事故を起こしたことは想像に難くない。
English: In addition, because the place where the accident occurred was an area where lots of snow was supposed to fall, a ditch to melt snow was provided beside the railways, and part of the train-car bodies were caught in the ditch, escaping being overturned.
Japanese: また、事故現場は積雪の多い地帯のためレール脇に雪を融かして流すための溝があり、そこに車体の一部が填まり込むことで横転せずに済んでいた。