Tokyo-Osaka bullet train services halted for hours after power failure

Bullet train services between Tokyo and Osaka were halted for hours on Saturday afternoon due to a power failure, affecting around 97,000 travelers, as a sweltering heat wave hit the Pacific side of the Japanese archipelago, Central Japan Railway Co. said.

Following the suspension from 0:15 p.m. to 3:20 p.m., train operations were significantly disrupted, with a total of 27 services canceled and 108 delayed, the operator said. Stranded passengers congested Nagoya, Shizuoka and other stations of the Tokaido Shinkansen Line.

To protect passengers aboard bullet trains from the heat, the operator handed out water and opened doors for ventilation. It is also investigating the cause of the power outage that occurred between Shizuoka and Kakegawa stations in central Japan.

The areas where the Tokaido Shinkansen Line operates saw high temperatures on Saturday, with the mercury rising over 34 C in Tokyo, 35 C in Nagoya, 37 C in Kyoto and 35 C in Osaka, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.