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rare power failure disturbed TokyoSome of the world’s busiest rail lines halted services for the Friday morning commute and stranded thousands of passengers during peak travel times.
Services on several lines operated by East Japan Railway Co. have been suspended, leaving commuters scrambling for alternatives. The operator initially said there was no clear timetable for resumption of service, but later announced that trains were expected to resume running from 1pm local time.
The disruption spread across the Japanese capital’s transport network, affecting the Yamanote Line’s Inner and Outer Loop lines and the entire Keihin Tohoku Line, which together form the backbone of commuter travel in central Tokyo.
The portion of the Tokaido Line between Tokyo Station and Shinagawa Station was also affected, according to the operator.
The outage was first discovered around 3.50am local time as workers prepared for the first outage. train same day. The situation escalated shortly before 8 a.m. when fire According to reports, the tracks near Tamachi Station are served by the Yamanote Line and the Keihin Tohoku Line.
The state broadcaster said flames broke out in a transformer in the runway area. Japan Broadcasting Corporation the report said. The fire was extinguished in about 30 minutes, but equipment damage forced services to remain suspended during the morning rush hour.
Video broadcast by Japanese television showed passengers disembarking from a Keihin Tohoku Line train that was stuck between stations. firefighter Railroad staff assist passengers in safely disembarking as they walk along the tracks. No injuries were reported.
The Yamanote Line runs around central Tokyo, connecting major areas such as Shinjuku, Shibuya and Tokyo Station.
Shinjuku alone handles approximately 3.5 million passengers every day, making it the busiest train station in the world.
The Keihin Tohoku Line connects central Tokyo with surrounding urban areas such as Yokohama and is one of the most frequently used commuter routes in the capital.
As the chaos continued into late morning, crowding increased at major stations such as Shimbashi and Shinagawa. Operators restricted access to some platforms to cope with a surge in passengers who were forced to reroute, while cascading delays were reported on other lines.
The operator said remaining delays are likely to persist even if affected lines resume operations.
Authorities are investigating whether there is a connection between the power outage and the Tamachi Station fire.
Large-scale rail disruptions are rare in Tokyo, but even brief outages can quickly ripple through daily life in a city that relies heavily on its rail network.