JR East to Use S-net Data to Speed Earthquake Response on Conventional Lines in Japan

JR East (East Japan Railway Company) will utilize external seismometer data in operational control during earthquakes on its conventional lines.

Starting September 10, it will incorporate seafloor seismometer data from the Seafloor Observation Network for Earthquakes and Tsunamis along the Japan Trench (S-net)—already used by its Shinkansen Early Earthquake Detection System—into the Early Earthquake Warning System for conventional lines, shortening detection time by up to about 20 seconds. This will allow emergency brakes to be applied sooner, increasing the likelihood that, under certain conditions, trains can make an emergency stop before strong shaking reaches the line.

Going forward, by leveraging the Super-dense Real-time Earthquake Disaster Mitigation System (SUPREME) to make operational decisions based on ground motion values that more closely reflect local shaking, the company will study further improvements to the safety and stability of railway transportation in Japan during earthquakes.