Hokkaido Railway Co. (JR Hokkaido) on Sept. 22 announced that it had failed to carry out track repairs quickly enough at 97 spots across Hokkaido. To make matters worse, JR Hokkaido announced three days later that track irregularities were found at an additional 170 spots.
At these 267 spots, tracks had widened beyond the safety limit. In some cases, such tracks were left unrepaired for nearly a year. Although JR Hokkaido said it had finished necessary repairs for the first 97 spots by Sept. 22, it is clear that something is basically wrong with the company.
Earlier this year, the company experienced a series of fire-and-smoke incidents involving limited express trains. One wonders whether officials and employees of JR Hokkaido have a clear sense of duty to protect the lives of passengers.