In response to the flooding of rivers caused by heavy rain, which caused damage such as railway bridges being washed away, a study group on countermeasures was held by the national government and JR companies, and the national government urgently checked bridges nationwide without waiting for regular inspections. We instructed them to take measures as soon as possible, such as conducting an investigation.
As for the damage to the railway bridges caused by the heavy rain, three bridges such as the JR Iida Line were tilted in Nagano Prefecture in August, and four bridges were washed away on the JR Hisatsu Line in Kumamoto Prefecture in July last year. The damage is occurring one after another.
The Iida Line and Hisatsu Line are still in the process of recovery.
Once damaged, it may take more than a year to recover, which will have a major impact on local commuting, school, tourism, etc., so on the 28th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and JR companies held a study group on countermeasures. ..
According to the study group, most of the damaged bridges were built before the war, more than 70 years after construction, and the bottom of the river around the base of the pier was scraped by the muddy stream and flooding of the river. It was reported that it was thought to be the cause.
After that, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism instructed JR companies to conduct an urgent investigation of more than 5,000 bridges nationwide without waiting for the mandatory periodic inspection once every two years.
The survey uses a new manual that defines specific survey methods and requires that measures be taken by the flood season next year.
At the study meeting, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Akabane said, "From the perspective of disaster prevention and mitigation, we would like you to position it as a top priority and work with a sense of speed."
Non-stop section on 6 routes nationwide
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, there are currently six lines nationwide that are partially out of service due to the flow of railway bridges over rivers.
The JR Tadami Line, which connects Fukushima and Niigata prefectures, was hit by heavy rain in 2011, and three bridges in Fukushima prefecture were washed away, leaving sections out of service for 10 years.
At one time, the discontinuation of the damaged section was considered, but JR East and the local government discussed how to restore it, and Fukushima Prefecture and municipalities also bear the cost, and it will cost about 9 billion yen to complete the entire line next year. I am aiming for recovery in.
In addition, the Kumagawa Railway, which runs in Kumamoto Prefecture, was partially cut off due to the heavy rain in July last year, which caused a bridge of about 300 meters in length to be washed away, and the restoration time for all lines has not been decided.
Even after entering this year, the bridge between the JR Iida Line and the Alpico Kotsu Kamikochi Line has tilted in Nagano Prefecture in August, and there is no prospect of recovery so far.
One pier is tens of millions of yen Cost and limited construction period are also issues
Repairing a single pier of a railway bridge costs tens of millions of yen, and the cost is an issue.
Railroad operators other than JR East, Tokai, and West Japan can receive one-third of the cost of repairs from the government, but it is a heavy burden for small-scale railway operators.
In addition, according to railway companies, it is difficult to inspect and repair bridges over rivers unless the river is in a dry season, and the limited construction period is also an issue in advancing countermeasures. That is.