A viper curled up on board Japan’s Tokaido Shinkansen, the country’s most well known and heavily trafficked bullet train line. This surprise traveler forced a 17-minute delay on hundreds of road-weary passengers. The incident occurred at approximately 5:25 PM between Maibara and Gifu-Hashima stations when a metre-long snake wrapped itself around a power line, resulting in an electrical short that halted train operations.
The Tokaido Shinkansen High-speed Rail links Japan’s most populous and productive major cities— Tokyo, Nagoya, & Osaka —now supporting over 370 train services a day. It has maintained an exemplary safety record, with not a single injury or accident reported during its brief history. Indeed, their trains are some of the most punctual on the planet—usually only 1.6 minutes late. They can fly at speeds up to 285 km per hour! Today, a trip from Tokyo to Osaka, over 320 miles, takes under two and a half hours. This speedy journey is an important artery in Japan’s dense transportation tree.
Every day, an average of 430,000 passengers are on board the Shinkansen. Since it opened right in time for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, the Tokaido Shinkansen has carried more than 7 billion passengers. This astounding figure cements its role as a linchpin of contemporary rail transit in Japan.
Unfortunately for JR West, this isn’t the first time that wildlife has derailed operations on the Shinkansen. In 2009, a different snake incident caused a similar electrical failure. Just last year, a 40cm snake crawled on board one of the carriages on the Nagoya to Tokyo Shinkansen line. This sudden interaction raised fears among riders.
Satoshi Tagawa, a frequent Shinkansen user, expressed his surprise at the incident, stating, “I use the shinkansen several times a month, but this is the first time I have experienced suspensions due to a power outage.”
Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai), which operates the Shinkansen, has reported no injuries associated with this incident. Safety continues to be the company’s number one priority. To calm fears among passengers, they have promised patrons that new practices will stop such events from taking place again.