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Four railway workers die after being struck by limited-express train in Tochigi
The Japan Times • • world
Key Points:
- Four railway workers in their 50s to 60s were killed after being struck by a limited-express train at Shin-Kanuma Station on the Tobu Nikko Line in Tochigi Prefecture.
- The workers, employed by a subcontractor, were spraying herbicide near the tracks when the Spacia X2 train hit them; the train driver had sounded the horn after receiving a signal from a lookout.
- Investigations revealed communication issues among lookouts responsible for warning workers of approaching trains, and the Japan Transport Safety Board has dispatched investigators to the site.
- Tobu Railway apologized to the victims' families and pledged to implement measures to prevent similar accidents, while train services were temporarily suspended, affecting about 2,600 passengers.
- The incident echoes past fatal accidents involving railway workers in Japan, including cases in 1999 and 2006 during maintenance work on other lines.
