A Denentoshi Line train collided with an out-of-service train late on Oct. 5 in Kanagawa Prefecture, causing the major Tokyo commuter line to be shut down the following morning and continuing through the day.
The accident occurred after 11 p.m. when a local passenger train with 10 cars traveling from Chuo-Rinkan Station to Shibuya Station collided with a 10-car train at Kajigaya Station on the Denentoshi Line in Kanagawa Prefecture.
Part of the out-of-service train cars derailed in the collison but no injuries were reported from the derailment or the 149 passengers on the Denentoshi Line train, Tokyu Railways said.
Tokyu Railways said that train service between Shibuya and Saginuma stations was suspended starting with the first train on Oct. 6 and there is currently no timetable for resuming operations.
Train operations between Saginuma and Chuo-Rinkan stations have also been significantly reduced.
The Tokyu Oimachi Line, which shares through-service operations with some Denentoshi Line trains, is also operating on a reduced schedule between Oimachi and Futako-Tamagawa stations.
Through-service operations between the Denentoshi Line and Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line have been suspended. According to Tokyo Metro Co., Hanzomon Line trains are turning back at Shibuya Station, and there may be fewer trains running than usual.
According to Tokyu Railways and the Kanagawa prefectural police, the accident occurred when the out-of-service train was entering a low-speed siding track at the station, and its last car collided with the local train that was approaching.
“Just after the announcement that we were about to arrive at Kajigaya Station, I suddenly heard a loud crashing sound, like our train had hit something,” said a 20-year-old female corporate worker who was riding in the front car of the local train.
She said at the time, all passengers were seated and there were a few empty seats. One passenger opened a window to look outside, and she saw from the window that another train had collided with her train and was tightly wedged up against it.
An announcement on the train said, “We are currently checking the situation,” followed by another saying, “We are unable to continue operations.”
About 10 minutes later, two crew members arrived and guided passengers to another train.
“It was so sudden that I was shocked. But there were no problems after the accident, and I was relieved that we were led out of the train relatively quickly,” the woman said.
(This article was written by Junji Murakami, Ryuta Sometaya and Kohei Kano.)
AloJapan.com