A young woman sitting precariously on a ledge above train tracks in Tokyo’s Itabashi Ward brought the morning rush to a halt on Wednesday, disrupting service on the Tobu Tojo Line for more than an hour.
Police and emergency crews rushed to the scene near Narimasu Station around 5:20 a.m., after a train driver spotted the woman. She had climbed onto an exposed beam jutting out from a pedestrian bridge that spans the tracks — a structure meant to keep falling objects from hitting the overhead power lines.
As officers tried to talk her down, rescuers spread safety mats and nets on the tracks below. Passengers stranded on trains and station platforms posted photos and videos on social media, showing police leaning over the bridge railing, arms outstretched, trying to coax the woman to safety.
The standoff lasted nearly an hour. Around 6:30 a.m., two officers managed to grab her hands while another officer climbed onto the beam to push her up. She was eventually pulled to safety and taken into care.
By then, 43 trains had been canceled, affecting about 16,000 commuters. With power to the tracks shut off during the rescue, riders complained online of stifling heat inside stalled cars and missed work obligations.
While many online expressed relief that the woman survived, others voiced frustration at the disruption, with some even suggesting the railway seek damages. Tobu Railway declined to comment on possible compensation claims.
Service on the line resumed shortly before 7 a.m.
by MagazineKey4532