Due to the heavy snow, trains on the JR Kyoto Line and Biwako Line were stuck and many passengers were trapped inside the trains. There was an error. We deeply apologize for causing serious operational trouble."
In JR West, on the night of the 24th, when it snowed heavily, it was impossible to switch points on the tracks in 21 places, including the Kyoto Line and the Biwako Line, and as a result, 15 trains were stuck, and about 7,000 people were temporarily on board. 16 people complained of poor physical condition and were transported by ambulance.
Regarding this issue, JR West President Kazuaki Hasegawa said at a press conference held in Tokyo on the 26th, "We deeply apologize for causing serious trouble in operation and causing great inconvenience. I am very sorry that the situation has been strong for a long time and that some people have become unwell."
Regarding this issue, JR West has so far
not operated the device that melts the snow at the points of the track based on the expected amount of snowfall.
▽ It explains that when priority was given to restoring points to drop passengers off at the station, passengers were trapped in the car for a long time
.
Regarding this, President Hasegawa said, "There was an error in judging the snowfall situation, such as whether the service should have been canceled earlier. We did not have enough thinking, such as assuming the worst situation." "I was unable to make the decision to get off immediately due to the darkness under my feet and the risk of freezing, but as a result I caused pain to the customer, and I deeply regret it," he said.
On top of that, he also indicated that he would promptly implement the necessary improvement measures after verifying the series of decisions and responses.