Japan’s train system has long been known for its punctuality, especially the bullet trains of the Tokaido Shinkansen. However, a recent incident disrupted the renowned high-speed rail system when a train was delayed by 17 minutes due to the presence of a snake on board. The incident affected over six hundred passengers but fortunately did not result in any injuries.
On the evening of April 16th, a train departing from Nagoya and heading towards Tokyo had a passenger report the sighting of a snake inside one of the train cars upon arrival in Tokyo.
The railway company responsible for operating the Shinkansen, Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) mentioned that it is unclear whether the 40-centimeter-long snake was venomous or how it managed to enter the train car. Nonetheless, the incident did not cause harm to passengers or lead to panic.
While JR Central allows passengers to bring small pets like cats, dogs, or birds on board, snakes are explicitly prohibited.
A spokesperson for JR Central told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that it is difficult to imagine how the snake got inside the train car. The company prohibits passengers from bringing snakes on board, but they do not inspect passengers’ luggage.
The affected train was originally bound for Osaka, but JR Central decided to substitute the train for that service, resulting in a delay of 17 minutes for over six hundred passengers.
JR Central emphasized that since the inauguration of the Shinkansen in 1964, there have been no accidents causing harm to passengers such as derailments or collisions. The high-speed rail system’s trains can reach speeds of up to 285 kilometers per hour, with an average delay time of only 0.2 minutes.
The punctuality of the Shinkansen is globally renowned. In May 2021, JR Central publicly apologized for a one-minute delay of a Shinkansen train.
In a previous report by Epoch Times, the train number 633 traveling at 150 kilometers per hour from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka faced an unusual situation. The driver suddenly felt unwell and urgently needed to use the restroom. He asked the train conductor to temporarily take his place in the driver’s cabin while he stepped away.
During the three-minute period in which the driver was in the restroom, the conductor, who was not licensed to drive the train, sat in the driver’s seat. He did not touch any controls but the train ended up delayed by one minute.
Despite no injuries or damages resulting from this incident, JR Central took disciplinary action against the driver for violating regulations. The company held a press conference to publicly apologize to the community.
责任编辑：孫芸#