Friday morning in Tokyo turned into a commuter's nightmare as a widespread power outage brought several of the city’s busiest train lines to an abrupt halt. According to The Japan Times, the disruption rippled through the city’s core, suspending operations on the Yamanote Line, the Keihin-Tohoku Line, and a key section of the Tokaido Line between Tokyo and Shinagawa.
This sudden suspension during the peak morning rush led to scenes of stampede-like situations at major stations, with viral videos reportedly from Ueno Station and elsewhere showing seas of stranded commuters.
Check it out below:
What exactly happened?
As reported by the local media outlet, the trouble began around 3:50 a.m., when East Japan Railway (JR East) detected a power outage between Shimbashi and Shinagawa while prepping trains for the day. The source appeared to be electrical issues near Tamachi Station, a critical junction for both the Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku lines.
To make matters worse, Tokyo police and fire officials later reported a fire breaking out at a transformer next to the tracks near Tamachi just before 8 a.m. As per The Japan Times, the blaze was brought under control within 90 minutes, and thankfully, no injuries were reported.
However, the impact was immediate and widespread. Commuters were forced to disembark and walk along railroad tracks after a brief restart on the Keihin-Tohoku Line was halted again. According to NHK, five passengers felt unwell while trapped inside stopped trains and were taken to hospital as a precaution.
By early afternoon, most train services had resumed, but significant delays persisted across multiple JR lines. Authorities are still investigating whether the fire and the initial power outage are connected, as Tokyo’s railway system recovers from one of its most disruptive mornings in recent times.
