Travel Noire, 5/2/24
A SNAKE ON A BULLET TRAIN IN JAPAN CAUSED A 17-MINUTE DELAY FOR OVER 600 PASSENGERSA small serpent caused a substantial delay on a bullet train in Japan, shaking up the country's typically timely rail service routine.A small serpent caused a substantial delay on one of Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains, shaking up the country’s typically timely rail service routine. More than 600 passengers experienced the unusual interruption when the 16-inch snake was discovered on a train traveling from Nagoya to Tokyo. The sighting caused a delay of 17 minutes—a rarity for the Shinkansen service known for its near-perfect timekeeping.
The incident occurred on the evening of April 16. A passenger spotted the scaly stowaway and promptly alerted the security staff. The Central Japan Railway Company (CJRC), which operates the high-speed train, confirmed that the snake’s presence on the train was indeed the cause of the delay. The company also switched to a different train for the onward journey to Osaka, contributing to the total delay.