Travel

Snake Causes Shinkansen Power Outage

NAGOYA, Apr 30 (News On Japan) - The Tokaido Shinkansen resumed service at 7:00 p.m. on April 30th after a power outage forced a suspension of operations, but major delays continued to affect the timetable.

According to Central Japan Railway (JR Tokai), the outage occurred around 5:30 p.m. between Gifu-Hashima Station and Maibara Station. Services were suspended between Shin-Osaka and Nagoya on the up line and between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka on the down line. The disruption was reportedly caused by a snake that had become entangled in a river facility along the down line in Ogaki City.

Although operations resumed across the entire line at 7:00 p.m., many trains remained delayed by up to an hour and a half, with the schedule still significantly disrupted.

Similar incidents involving animals have caused disruptions to both railway systems and power grids across Japan, where infrastructure is often exposed to natural surroundings. In particular, snakes have occasionally slithered into substations, climbed onto overhead wires, or become entangled in equipment along railway lines. These reptiles, when in contact with electrical components, can cause short circuits or trigger safety shutdowns, resulting in service suspensions or power failures.

For example, past cases have seen local train services halted due to snakes interfering with sensors or power lines, and in rural areas, small substations have been known to shut down temporarily after a snake bridged conductors. Such events are rare but disruptive, prompting railway and utility companies to explore preventative measures, including animal barriers and improved monitoring of sensitive infrastructure.

Source: NEWS ONE

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