TOKYO (TR) – Evening commuters in the Tokyo metropolitan area were plunged into absolute chaos on Tuesday after the JR Sobu Rapid Line was hit by two consecutive accidents involving people struck by trains, with the second incident occurring mere minutes after the line had finally resumed operation, reports Zakzak (Aug. 25).
The nightmare began at approximately 3:56 p.m. when a person was struck by a train at Funabashi Station. Operations on both inbound and outbound tracks were immediately suspended.
According to JR East, on-site police investigations and safety checks took significantly longer than anticipated. Officials were forced to repeatedly push back the expected resumption time, mounting tension and frustration among stranded passengers.
After a grueling wait of about an hour and 45 minutes, operations finally resumed at 5:43 p.m. However, the relief was agonizingly short-lived. Just 15 minutes later, at 5:49 p.m., a second person was struck by a train, this time at Bakurocho Station.
The back-to-back incidents dealt a fatal blow to the evening rush hour. With the estimated resumption time pushed back to 7:10 p.m., the suspension caused massive ripple effects across the regional transit network. Connecting routes, including the Chuo-Sobu local trains, the Narita Line, and the recently reopened Sotobo Line, all suffered major delays.
Narita Express
Passengers rushing to catch the Narita Express (NEX) for international flights or Shinkansen connections were left completely stranded, as they were traveling on tight schedules with no room for error.
Social media quickly flooded with panicked and exasperated posts, with many exhausted commuters labeling the transit line “cursed.”
“Just when I thought they were struggling to restart from the Funabashi accident, another one happens at Bakurocho. The Sobu Rapid is cursed today,” wrote one user.
Another commuter posted, “Chiba Station is an absolute warzone right now.”
As passengers flooded the parallel Chuo-Sobu local lines, hubs like Akihabara became dangerously overcrowded. “Seeing the carnage at Akihabara, I made a U-turn. I’m heading out to Ueno to take the Keisei Line so I can at least sit down,” one witness reported.
Others voiced despair over ruined travel plans, with one traveler lamenting that the delays meant they would likely miss their Shinkansen connection to Kokura and be forced to wait for the first train the following morning.
