East Japan Railway Company (JR East) announced the development of “earthquake-proof left-right dynamic damper” for rolling stock.
Dampers are installed at the connection between the bogie and the car body to dampen vibration. However, conventional products were mainly designed to improve ride comfort, and could not absorb vibration caused by earthquakes, resulting in the risk of wheels lifting up and derailing the train.
To address this issue, the company developed the “earthquake-proof left-right motion damper” after conducting tests on the E956 “ALFA-X” and other models. While having the usual anti-tremor effect, the new damper can handle tremors equivalent to the 2022 Fukushima Prefecture earthquake, and has been confirmed to reduce the probability of derailment by approximately 50% at the maximum.
In the fall of 2027 or later, the E5 and later models will be converted to “earthquake-resistant left and right motion dampers”. The E5, E6, and E8 series for the Tohoku, Akita, and Yamagata Shinkansen will be installed by FY2031, and the E7 series for the Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen by FY2032. The total construction cost, including maintenance facilities, will be approximately 10 billion yen.
© Source travel watch