Chuo Express Line in Tokyo is taking the afternoon off

[railsquid]

Scaffolding fell off a building onto a train between Kunitachi and Nishi-Kokubunji. No injuries but the entire line is shut down until around 6pm.

 

Info, picture and video here: http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20130130/t10015163281000.html

 

What I can never work out when this kind of disruption happens is why they just shut the whole line down - surely it would be possible to run a service between say Tokyo and Mitaka?

[railsquid]

Some more pictures here: http://matome.naver.jp/odai/2135951901238647101

[Densha]

This kind of thing is new for me; I've never heard of a scaffolding falling onto a train.

[bikkuri bahn]

It was construction on an adjacent apartment structure. Apparently there were shuttle trains running between Takao and Tachikawa and between Kokubunji and Tokyo after the accident, to clear any passengers that remained on the line. They were lucky the incident occured in the off peak. I reckon they then shut down the rest of the line after the shuttle trains finished their duties in order to get things in proper order so full operations could resume for the evening rush. With the Chuo Line commute, most commuters can take alternate routes using other railways/buses, though it probably entails two or three transfers to get to their final destination (e.g. Hachioji residents can take the Keio Rlwy, those in Tachikawa can take the Nambu Line, or the Seibu Line from Haijima).

Edited January 30, 2013 by bikkuri bahn

[Sacto1985]

With the Chuo Line commute, most commuters can take alternate routes using other railways/buses, though it probably entails two or three transfers to get to their final destination (e.g. Hachioji residents can take the Keio Rlwy, those in Tachikawa can take the Nambu Line, or the Seibu Line from Haijima).

 

It's either that or the izakaya bars around Shinjuku Station are going to be extra busy until the line reopens fully.  :)