Suspicious Backpack at JR Kyoto Station; Temporary Suspension of Train Services During Long Holiday Period

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:34 JST, May 6, 2024

Around 4:20 p.m. on Sunday, a passenger discovered a suspicious backpack on a local train from Omi-Maiko to Kyoto that had just arrived at JR Kyoto Station. The passenger reported the backpack to a train conductor. As a safety precaution, West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) closed off the local line platforms at Kyoto Station for about an hour and a half, suspending train operations. According to the Kyoto prefectural police, the backpack was left behind by a passenger and did not contain any dangerous materials. However, the incident caused unease at the station, which was already crowded due to the long holiday period.

The Kyoto prefectural police reported that the backpack was found on a luggage rack and had writing on it that suggested it might contain chemical substances. The owner was later contacted, and they explained that they had accidentally left the backpack on the train.

As a result of this incident, JR West closed the local line platforms at the station and suspended operations on five lines, including the Nara Line and the Kyoto Line. Train services resumed on all lines at around 6 p.m. A total of 80 trains were canceled, affecting approximately 85,000 people.