Tokyo's Morning Commute Chaos: Power Outage Halts Major Train Lines

A power outage caused by a maintenance issue near Tokyo's Tamachi Station disrupted the morning commute for 673,000 passengers by halting the Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku train lines for nine hours. The incident involved passengers evacuating along tracks and led to overcrowded stations.

A power outage severely impacted Tokyo's morning commute on Friday, affecting approximately 673,000 passengers. Two main train lines, the Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku, were brought to a standstill for up to nine hours, East Japan Railway (JR East) reported.

The disruption originated from a failed power restoration after overnight maintenance work at Tamachi Station. Smoke reportedly emanated from a track-side equipment box, prompting emergency evacuations. Passengers disembarked from stalled trains and were assisted by firefighters and railway staff to safety along the tracks.

Social media showed crowded stations as commuters faced significant delays. The Yamanote Line serves high-traffic stations like Shinjuku, with a daily ridership of 3.5 million, while the Keihin-Tohoku Line links key locations such as Tokyo and Yokohama.

(With inputs from agencies.)