JAPAN TODAY


 

A local train bound for Tokyo's Shibuya collided with an out-of-service train on Sunday night, causing the latter to partially derail and creating long delays for morning rush hour commuters, according to Tokyu Railways.

Tokyu Railways was unable to say when services would be resumed.
The collision occurred near Kajigaya Station in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line at around 11:05 p.m. and resulted in the suspension of services between Shibuya and Saginuma stations from the first trains on Monday. Nobody was injured in the incident.

The out-of-service train, operated by an apprentice driver and an instructor, was headed to a depot near Kajigaya Station but had stopped short of its correct position after receiving a overspeed warning signal, according to Tokyu.

The train's location left its last car protruding into the path of the other train which was arriving at the station with 149 passengers aboard. After the impact, the out-of-service train was partially derailed.

Passengers on the local train were able to disembark at the station.
The accident is being investigated by the Kanagawa Prefectural Police and the Japan Transport Safety Board, which dispatched two investigators to the site.

Top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will provide necessary safety guidance to Tokyu Railways following assessment of the accident's cause.

"Ensuring transportation safety is a railway operator's most vital task," the chief cabinet secretary said.

The busy Tama-Plaza Station in Yokohama on the Den-en-toshi Line was crowded with delayed passengers early on Monday morning.

"It's a terrible situation," said commuter Yoshiki Nakatsu, who lives nearby. "I don't think service will be restored any time soon, and I'm worried about later when I'm coming home."