Companies

Shinkansen Window Cracks Mid-Journey, Detached Metal Cover Hits Glass; No Injuries Reported

Courtesy of JR Central
The detached metal cover from the cable conduit

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:02 JST, March 16, 2025

A passenger on the Nozomi 317 Tokaido Shinkansen, en route to Shin-Osaka from Tokyo, reported to a conductor at around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday that the glass of a window in car 16 was cracked. Approximately 60 passengers in the car were relocated to another carriage, and the train temporarily reduced its speed. No injuries were reported.

According to Central Japan Railway Co., a metal plate (approximately 30 cm in length, up to 60 cm in width, 3 mm thick, and weighing about 4 kg) was found dislodged inside a tunnel in Aichi Prefecture. This metal cover was part of the signal and communication cable conduit within the tunnel and is believed to have struck the train’s window.

Construction work on the communication equipment had been carried out in the tunnel from Wednesday night to Thursday morning.

“We will thoroughly investigate the cause of this incident and take all necessary measures to prevent a recurrence,” JR Central said in a statement.