West Japan Railway Co. President Masao Yamazaki was charged with negligence July 8 over the 2005 train crash in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, that killed 107 people and injured 562.

The accident occurred when a speeding train jumped a curve and slammed into an apartment building next to JR West's Fukuchiyama Line on April 25, 2005.

Yamazaki, 66, was accused of professional negligence resulting in deaths and injuries as he was in charge of safety measures when the carrier laid the sharp curve at the site in 1996 but did not put in an Automatic Train Stop system, which could have halted the train.

The Kobe District Public Prosecutor's Office indicted Yamazaki without arrest after concluding the tragedy could have been avoided if the curve had had the ATS backup.

Following his indictment, Yamazaki expressed his intention to step down.