SAKAIDE, Kagawa -- A rapid train came to an unexpected halt while crossing a bridge here on Nov. 10, stranding 150 passengers for some six hours before they were transferred to another train and taken to a nearby station. No injuries or illnesses were reported.

According to Shikoku Railway Co. (JR Shikoku), at around 7:35 a.m., an overhead wire on the JR Seto-Ohashi Line was severed, and the seven-car Marine-Liner No. 10 came to a stop on the Seto Ohashi Bridge about 4 kilometers before Kojima Station in the city of Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture. Damage to the pantograph attached to the train, which was travelling from Takamatsu to Okayama stations, is being investigated in connection with the cutting of the overhead wire.

JR Shikoku sent another train from Kojima Station to rescue the passengers of the Marine-Liner, stopping it next to the rapid train to transfer the passengers at around 1:30 p.m. This train returned to Kojima Station at around 2:15 p.m.

Due to this incident, operation of the Seto-Ohashi Line was suspended for more than 12 hours both ways between Kojima Station and Utazu Station in the town of Utazu, Kagawa Prefecture. Service resumed after 8 p.m., but a total of 107 trains were suspended and six trains were delayed for up to one hour, affecting about 15,000 passengers.

The entire Shikoku region in west Japan experienced a major power outage on Nov. 9, but the railroad's substations were unaffected and JR Shikoku does not believe it was related to this incident.

(Japanese original by Takuya Suzuki, Osaka City News Department)