JR Freight Rail Yards Inspected over Data Fraud

Tokyo, Sept. 11 (Jiji Press)--Japan’s transport ministry on Wednesday conducted on-site inspections of three Japan Freight Railway Co. rail yards, after the company, also known as JR Freight, revealed a data fraud scandal the previous day.

Launching a special safety investigation, the ministry conducted the on-site probes of the Wanishi yard in the city of Muroran in Hokkaido, northernmost Japan, the Kawasaki yard in the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture to the south of Tokyo, and the Hiroshima yard in the western city of the same name under the railway business law.

JR Freight was ordered to carry out emergency inspections of all of its freight train cars and engines.

The ministry will consider whether to impose administrative penalties on the company based on the results of the investigations.

JR Freight said Tuesday that pressure exceeding a set limit by up to about 10 pct was applied in the process of fitting wheels on car axles. While there was a possibility of the action weakening the axles, data were replaced and inspection records including the falsified data were compiled in some cases. The malpractice started about 10 years ago.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]