small things to be thankful for

Warning signal saved 2nd train

The Yomiuri Shimbun

A westbound express train narrowly avoided colliding with the train that derailed on the JR Fukuchiyama Line in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, on Monday morning because the driver saw an unrelated warning signal flashing at a nearby crossing, The Yomiuri Shimbun learned Saturday.

According to West Japan Railway Co., the driver of the Kitakinki No. 3 from Shin Osaka Station to Kinosaki Onsen Station, which was carrying about 150 passengers, noticed a red warning signal at a crossing 50 meters from the accident site at 9:20 a.m., two minutes after the train left Amagasaki Station. The train left the station around the time of the accident.

Because the signal flashes when something unusual has happened at the crossing, the driver stopped the train about 100 meters short of the accident site and also advised other trains within a 1-kilometer radius to stop immediately via radio.

After receiving the warning from the express train, a rapid train behind the train that crashed stopped about 300 meters short of the accident site.

The express train driver, however, said he only noticed the devastating accident ahead of him after he stopped the train.

According to JR West, a check of the signal at the crossing found nothing unusual around the crossing that could have turned on the warning signal. The company has failed to identify why the warning signal flashed even though the fatal accident had no connection with the crossing.

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