Snake halts Japanese bullet trains after wrapping around power line
Osaka is also hosting the World Expo this year, which will see millions of foreign and domestic visitors flock to the city until it ends in October.The snake entanglement occurred between Gifu-Hashima and Maibara stations, which suspended Tokyo-bound trains between Shin-Osaka and Nagoya, and the Osaka-bound trains between Shin-Osaka and Tokyo, according to Japanese news agency Kyodo News.While authorities worked to get power restored, passengers reportedly gathered around staff at one station while large queues formed at ticket machines.One frequent shinkansen traveller, who was returning to Tokyo, said it was the first time he had experienced this."I use the shinkansen several times a month, but this is the first time I have experienced suspensions due to a power outage," Satoshi Tagawa, 46, told Kyodo News.But 26-year-old Kazutoshi Tachi, said he was "fed up with the troubles" to services."I want them to run on time," he added.This is not the first time a snake has brought the shinkansen service to a halt.In April 2024, there was a 17-minute hold-up while authorities removed a 16 inch (40.6cm) snake from the train between Nagoya and Tokyo, according to CBS News, BBC News's US partner.
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