Crack found in bullet train could have caused derailment: JR West

A 16-centimeter crack recently found in the undercarriage of a running shinkansen bullet train could have been serious enough to cause a derailment, train operator West Japan Railway Co. said Tuesday."It was an extremely serious incident that has affected trust in the safety of shinkansen," JR West Vice President Norihiko Yoshie said, referring to what the transport ministry's accident investigation board has determined to be the first "serious incident" affecting the Japanese high-speed train system."It could have caused a derailment," he told a press conference.A railway safety expert ech…READ FULL ARTICLE