Snake stops Japanese bullet trains after wrapping around the streamline

One of the busiest bullet train lines in Japan came to a halt after a snake was sealed in an electricity line, which caused a power outage.

Tokaido Shinkansen trains that ran between Tokyo and Osaka were suspended on Wednesday around 5:25 PM local time.

The services that were resumed at around 19:00, said operator Central Japan Railway Company, according to local media.

Japan is currently in one of the busiest holiday seasons, Golden Week, which consists of four national holidays in seven days, and will reach trains, airports and holiday hotspots.

This year Osaka is also organizing the World Expo, which means that millions of foreign and domestic visitors come to the city until it ends in October.

The snake rein took place between Gifu-Hashima and Maibara stations, which have suspended Tokyo-bound trains between Shin-Osaka and Nagoya, and the Osaka-related trains between Shin-Osaka and Tokyo, according to the Japanese press agency Kyodo News.

While the authorities worked to restore the power, passengers reportedly gathered around staff at one station, while large queues were formed in card machines.

A frequent shinkansen traveler, who returned 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 the problems” for services.

“I want them to run on time,” he added.

This is not the first time that a snake has stopped the Shinkansen service.

In April 2024 there was a 17-minute hold-up, while the authorities removed a 16-inch (40.6 cm) snake between Nagoya and Tokyo, according to CBS News, the American partner of BBC News.