Photo/Illutration A knife-proof umbrella developed by West Japan Railway Co. is shown on Oct. 17 in Osaka’s Kita Ward. (Kazuhide Setoguchi)

OSAKA--West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) is set to equip its trains with knife-proof umbrellas to protect passengers and crew.

The company said it developed the special umbrella to help railway personnel buy time for passengers to escape while maintaining a safe distance from individuals who go on the rampage.

The umbrella was created after a stabbing incident aboard a rapid train on the Kansai Airport Line in July last year.

The weapon will be installed in phases in trains with security cameras by March next year.

“We will be forging ahead with a range of approaches so as to provide our customers with safe and secure rail services,” said JR West President Kazuaki Hasegawa during a news conference on Oct. 17 to announce the new safety feature.

Fully opened, the 1-meter-long protective shield measures 1.1 meters in diameter. The blade-proof umbrella weighs 700 grams.

JR West said it will introduce two safety umbrellas on each of its 600 trains travelling in the Kinki region. The umbrellas will be deployed in crew cabs and elsewhere.

The umbrella’s canopy is made of a specialized transparent material that is knife resistant. It features 16 ribs, more than a typical umbrella, along with a thicker shaft for durability.

The shaft is sufficiently long to maintain a safe distance from an attacker, while its tip is shortened to 3 centimeters to render that part difficult to grab.

In the process of perfecting the umbrella, an oval design was considered. However, as this shape could make it difficult for users to fend off side attacks, the round design was eventually selected.

The finished flexible umbrella is easy to use even in narrow spaces like train aisles.

“We haven’t heard of other rail operators introducing similar weapons,” said a JR West representative.

Previously, JR West equipped different trains with different weapons, such as riot shields, anti-blade gloves and knife-proof vests. But these traditional tools did not go down well with crew members.

A typical complaint was that the “acrylic shield is so heavy” or that the protective gear “does not give the user a sense of security as it is impossible to keep a safe distance from a person with a knife.”

JR West said it embarked on the development of the umbrella immediately after the stabbing on the Kansai Airport Line.

The knife-wielding man injured two passengers and the conductor.

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