Four Track Workers Killed by Express Train in Japan

Four railway workers were killed in Japan on Thursday after an express train struck them at a station north of Tokyo, in a rare fatal accident in a country known for its strong rail safety record.

The workers were reportedly removing weeds around the tracks at Shin-Kanuma Station in Kanuma city when they were hit by a six-car Spacia X express train operating on the Tobu Nikko Line.

A fire department official confirmed that all four workers died. Emergency crews found three of the men trapped beneath the train, while the fourth was on the platform.

Japanese media reported that the victims were all men in their 50s and 60s. They were part of a seven-person maintenance team carrying out vegetation-clearing work around the railway tracks.

None of the approximately 50 passengers aboard the train was injured.

The train was travelling toward Tokyo and was approaching Shin-Kanuma Station when the collision occurred, according to broadcaster NHK, citing the railway operator.

One passenger described the sudden stop after the impact. The 40-year-old man told NHK that passengers heard a loud rumbling sound before the train applied heavy emergency braking.

An announcement told passengers that the train would remain stopped while staff determined the source of the noise. Travellers were unable to leave the train for some time as emergency crews responded.

Authorities have not yet established why the workers were on or close to the track when the train approached. An investigation is expected to examine communication procedures, track access rules, warning systems and the circumstances surrounding the maintenance operation.

The accident has drawn attention because serious railway accidents are relatively uncommon in Japan. The country’s rail operators are known for extensive maintenance programmes, strict operational procedures and high levels of staff training.

Japan’s bullet train network has an especially strong safety record. Since the shinkansen began operating in 1964, there has been no passenger death caused by a collision or derailment on the high-speed network.

Japan’s deadliest railway accident of the 21st century occurred in 2005, when a commuter train derailed in Amagasaki and crashed into an apartment building. The disaster killed 107 people and injured more than 500.

A separate accident in 1963 involving a derailed freight train and two passenger trains killed 161 people.

The latest incident involved a conventional express service rather than the shinkansen network and occurred during track maintenance work.

The Tobu Nikko Line connects the Tokyo metropolitan area with Nikko, a major tourist destination in Tochigi Prefecture known for its temples, shrines and mountain scenery.

Rail authorities are expected to investigate the circumstances of the deaths and determine whether additional safety measures are needed to prevent similar accidents involving maintenance crews.