In Japan, train service was suspended for three days due to a bear
On Hokkaido Island, a passenger train collided with a bear, causing the locomotive to derail. Due to the incident, railway traffic between the two cities was suspended.
Train traffic suspended for three days in Japan due to a bear
In the island of Hokkaido in northern Japan, a passenger train collided with a bear. As a result, the locomotive derailed and railway traffic was suspended for three days.
The incident occurred on October 30. Following the collision, railway service between the city of Asahikawa and the port of Wakkanai on the coast of the La Pérouse Strait was completely stopped.
According to information provided by JR Hokkaido, train service on this route is expected to resume on the morning of November 3. Temporary buses have been put into operation on November 2–3 to replace the canceled trains.
An unusual train-related incident also occurred in Japan in January 2026. A part weighing nearly 5 kilograms detached from an H5 series high-speed "Shinkansen" train belonging to the Hokkaido Railway Company while it was in motion. A train employee heard a strange noise from under the carriage. An inspection conducted at the next station revealed that a panel protecting the water tank had fallen off.
As a reminder, on October 28, two passenger trains collided near the city of Urda in Spain's Toledo province. More than 70 people were killed as a result of the incident. There were more than 500 passengers in total on the trains. The government declared three days of mourning starting October 29 in connection with the disaster.