According to Hokkaido Prefectural Police, the man, an 83-year-old resident of Kushiro City, drove his vehicle along the tracks of the JR Muroran Main Line over a distance of about 1.2 kilometers at around 10:00 p.m.
A person witnessing the incident pressed an emergency button, halting trains. There were no reports of injuries.
The man told police that he began traveling along the railway after making a mistake at a crossing. “When I realized that I was running along the tracks, I got stuck in trying to exit at the next crossing,” the man was quoted by police.
In security camera footage, the vehicle is seen passing by a station platform.
According to JR Hokkaido, a freight train made an emergency stop about 600 meters from the incident. As well, two regular service trains were canceled and three express trains were delayed.
