A power outage on Tokyo’s railway network disrupted the morning commute for thousands of passengers on Friday after a fire was reported on the tracks, forcing the suspension of two of the city’s busiest train lines.
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East Japan Railway said services on the Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku lines were halted in all directions, with no immediate timetable announced for resumption.
According to public broadcaster NHK, a fire broke out near Tamachi Station shortly before 8am local time. Flames were seen coming from a transformer in the track area, and the fire was almost completely extinguished about 30 minutes later.
Television footage aired by NTV showed passengers evacuating a stranded Keihin-Tohoku train between stations, walking along the tracks with assistance from firefighters and railway staff.
The disruption caused major inconvenience as both lines serve some of the world’s busiest stations. The circular Yamanote Line includes Shinjuku Station, which handles around 3.5 million passengers daily, while the Keihin-Tohoku Line connects key hubs such as Tokyo and Yokohama.
