ひたちなか海浜鉄道株式会社

Between June 9 and June 11, 2025, the Kanto Transport Bureau conducted a safety audit of Hitachinaka Seaside Railway Co., Ltd. and identified several issues requiring improvement. These include: 1) Inadequate track displacement inspections under Civil Engineering Implementation Standards Article 45, with specific concerns about unmaintained sections exceeding maintenance standards, improper handling of sections where design and actual track differ, and lack of records for maintained sections, all indicating insufficient timely and appropriate maintenance as per Articles 40 and 52 of the Standards. The company is instructed to review and improve operational and management procedures, possibly utilizing specialized agencies, to ensure proper track maintenance. 2) Failure to submit reports for transportation disruptions occurring on March 16, 2022; July 26, 2022; March 7, 2023; and May 8, 2024, as required by Railway Accident Reporting Regulations Article 5, Paragraph 4. The company must verify if other incidents have gone unreported and ensure compliance with reporting obligations. 3) Personnel conducting train or vehicle operations did not have their physical fitness verified before starting work, contrary to Ministerial Ordinance Article 10 concerning technical standards for railways. The company must promptly confirm the fitness of these personnel and implement proper management measures. 4) The KiHa 100 series diesel railcars, which had not been confirmed under Railway Business Act Article 13, were used for driver training without track closure measures from January 20 to April 13, 2025. The company must ensure track closures are properly enforced when operating unconfirmed vehicles and review related regulations and train staff accordingly. The company is required to report the corrective actions by December 8, 2025.

Between June 9 and June 11, 2025, the Kanto Transportation Bureau conducted a safety audit of Hitachinaka Seaside Railway Co., Ltd. and identified several areas requiring improvement. The issues include inadequate track displacement inspections as per Civil Engineering Implementation Standards Article 45, failure to submit reports for transportation disruptions on March 16, July 26, 2022, March 7, 2023, and May 8, 2024, and personnel fitness checks for staff involved in train operations not being properly verified. Additionally, trains not confirmed under Article 13 of the Railway Business Act, specifically KiHa 100 series diesel railcars, were used for driver training without track closure measures from January 20 to April 13, 2025. The company is instructed to review and improve operational procedures, ensure proper record-keeping, and confirm personnel fitness before operations. The company must report on these corrective actions by December 8, 2025.