Overview
- The 15-car local train struck a car at the Shin-Shiraoka level crossing in Shiraoka, Saitama, around 2:20 p.m. on Jan. 1, causing a partial derailment.
- The car’s 67-year-old driver was rescued with injuries but was conscious, and roughly 700 passengers and the crew reported no injuries.
- Police and JR East say the gates were down when the vehicle entered the crossing, and investigators are examining why it proceeded.
- Service on the Utsunomiya Line and parts of the Shonan-Shinjuku Line was halted, with about 130 trains canceled across Jan. 1–2 and roughly 58,000 people affected.
- Full operations resumed at 7:43 a.m. on Jan. 2 following repairs to damaged crossing equipment and re-railing, and JR East operated a special late-night ‘Nasuno’ shinkansen as an alternative.