Design error at the base of train that had an accident in Taiwan

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The Japanese manufacturer of the train derailed in Taiwan in October said that a design error had been discovered on the train. Due to the error, which probably lay in the wiring, the central control system was not alerted after the driver had deactivated an automatic safety function.

The train driver knew in a Taiwanese court that he had disabled the speed control system himself. An employee of train builder Nippon Sharyo said that there is no problem with the automatic safety system itself. That system is designed to automatically brake when the train exceeds the speed limit.

Yu Cheng-chung (middle), the operator of the Puyuma Express who derailed on October 21, kneels down with a few relatives of victims during a memorial service.

Eighteen people were killed in the accident on 21 October and 187 people were injured. There were 366 passengers on board the train. According to researchers, the vehicle had a speed of about 140 kilometres per hour, at a location where about 70 kilometres per hour is allowed.