A prolonged suspension of train service occurred on a major artery of the Tokyo metropolitan area. Passengers walked along the tracks to reach stations, causing chaos in various locations.
■Passengers forced onto the tracks…and taken to hospitals The major artery of central Tokyo came to a standstill for over eight hours. A pregnant woman was being supported by paramedics. Numerous people reported feeling unwell, causing chaos in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Due to a power outage between Shimbashi and Shinagawa stations, the Yamanote Line and Keihin-Tohoku Line suspended service for over eight hours from the first train of the day. Although service temporarily resumed during rush hour, trains stopped again. People could be seen walking along the tracks, heading towards stations. A passenger heading to Tamachi filmed the entire incident.
Announcement: “Please disembark calmly and without pushing.” Passenger who filmed: “They said, ‘There is a power outage near Tamachi and we cannot proceed any further.’ For 1 hour and 20 to 30 minutes, they just kept saying, ‘Please stay inside the train,’ and ‘Please do not get off the train.’ In the end, the conductor politely said, ‘Thank you for your patience,’ so no one was angry.” “My feet weren’t stable and I almost fell several times, it was scary.” The morning rush hour in central Tokyo is already crowded enough. Ueno Station, which carries about 170,000 people a day, was packed with people waiting for trains. Announcement: “Due to the rerouting caused by a power outage on the JR lines, the Ginza Line is also extremely crowded.” With the JR lines stopped, passengers flowed into the subway.
At Sengakuji Station on the Toei Asakusa Line, there were many people on the platform when they got off the train. The doors wouldn’t close, and the trains couldn’t depart for a long time. Announcement: “We will be closing the doors around here. Please use the next train. Please stand back from the platform doors.” It’s no wonder that people were feeling unwell. The Tokyo Fire Department’s “Super Ambulance,” a special ambulance capable of handling multiple injured people, was also dispatched. While some “share bicycles,” which sometimes number nearly 40, could be seen, checking the app showed that none were available for rent. After more than eight hours, just after 1 p.m. on the 16th, the entire line finally resumed service.
■ Restoration took 8 hours; special vehicles also deployed. Train service suspension affected over 670,000 people. According to JR East, after the last train on the 15th, construction work was carried out near Tamachi Station, and when they tried to supply electricity, the “power supply” failed. Professor Ryo Takagi of Kogakuin University said, “They take measures to ensure that no electric shock occurs during the work. It is conceivable that there was some mistake when putting it back together, and they failed to apply the high voltage. They wanted to get at least the Keihin-Tohoku Line running, so they applied the high voltage again while the problem was still there, and as a result, they broke it to an irreversible point, or rather, they made the problem worse.”
