The Hokkaido police last week launched an investigation against Hokkaido Railway Co. (JR Hokkaido) on suspicion that its workers fabricated track maintenance data. The investigation concerns the suspected falsification of data on track gauge widths in the Onuma Station compound on the Hakodate line after a freight train derailed there Sept. 19. It is suspected that falsifying data after the derailment was aimed at obstructing the accident investigation by the transport ministry and the Japan Transport Safety Board. All employees found to be involved should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
The data falsification was aimed at making the measurements acceptable to the ministry and to the board. It has been found that track gauge widths at the derailment site were up to 37 mm wider than the standard — about twice the allowable margin.
This incident is only one of many cases of irregularities related to JR Hokkaido's track maintenance. The transport ministry said on Oct. 4 that JR Hokkaido failed to carry out repairs at 270 spots where irregularities had been found in gauge widths.