In brief
Tokaido Shinkansen services were temporarily suspended due to a snake entangled in a power line, coinciding with Japan's busy Golden Week holiday.
In an unusual event, one of Japan's main bullet train services was interrupted when a snake wrapped itself around a power line, causing significant disruptions. The Tokaido Shinkansen, linking Tokyo and Osaka, had to cease operations around 5:25 PM local time on Wednesday, only resuming around 7:00 PM, reported the Central Japan Railway Company. This disruption coincided with Japan's bustling Golden Week, a holiday period comprising four national holidays over a week, further exacerbated by the ongoing World Expo in Osaka, expected to attract millions of visitors until October.The incident transpired between Gifu-Hashima and Maibara stations and particularly affected trains traveling from Tokyo to Osaka and vice versa. As power maintenance crews worked to resolve the issue, passengers gathered at train stations, forming long lines at ticket machines. One commuter, Satoshi Tagawa, 46, noted that it was his first experience with service disruptions due to such an incident after using the shinkansen multiple times each month. Conversely, Kazutoshi Tachi, 26, expressed frustration, stating he hopes for timely services amidst the chaos.Interestingly, this isn’t the first time a snake has caused delays; a similar incident in April 2024 led to a 17-minute wait while a 16-inch snake was safely removed from the tracks between Nagoya and Tokyo.
