A power outage on the JR Utsunomiya Line has caused widespread disruption, impacting approximately 190,000 passengers due to significant damage to overhead lines.
On the 9th, the JR Utsunomiya Line experienced a power outage between Kurihashi (Saitama Prefecture) and Mamata (Tochigi Prefecture), leading to a complete suspension of operations in both directions from the first train until around 9 AM. The return to service for the entire line was delayed until after 4:30 PM, affecting 192 train services, with three trains experiencing delays of over 17 hours, impacting about 190,000 passengers.
The power outage occurred around 11:16 PM on the 8th, with inspections revealing that the downtrack's trolley line had broken, leading to damage to over 100 locations of overhead line equipment spanning approximately 4 kilometers. A regular train traveling from Zushi to Koganei encountered significant damage, with its pantograph falling, resulting in more than 10 breaks on the roof. The train and two subsequent trains became stranded between stations, leading to the evacuation of about 230 passengers via a nearby train.
This incident is part of a larger pattern, as there have been multiple electrical troubles on JR lines in the Tokyo metropolitan area since January 16. Just recently, on the 3rd of this month, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism had instructed investigations into the causes and measures to prevent future occurrences. This power outage adds to ongoing concerns about the reliability and safety of rail services in the region.
