Services on the Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train resumed after being temporarily halted for about three hours following an incident in which a person entered the tracks at Hamamatsu Station in Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, and was fatally hit, the operator and local police said Friday.
JR Central said services had resumed on the Tokaido Shinkansen line at 8:48 p.m. The Sanyo Shinkansen line has also restarted operations.
The company urged people to avoid using its bullet train services for the remainder of the day due to major delays and crowds at train stations.
The incident occurred at around 5:40 p.m., involving a bullet train bound for Hakata, JR Central said.
According to local police, the person who had entered the tracks was pronounced dead at the scene. Based on security camera footage, they do not suspect foul play.
Local fire authorities said it had received an emergency call from the operator that “a person was hit by a shinkansen.” They have not received any reports of injuries among the passengers.
Train stations from Tokyo westward were packed with tourists and people trying to head home from work trips. Long lines snaked around the ticket counters at Tokyo Station, while others looked to highway buses as an alternative means for travel.
“I had a hotel booked and everything, but I don’t know what to do now,” said 54-year-old Kenji Nakamoto, who was planning on visiting a friend in Kyoto.
© KYODO
