Four Workers Killed When Express Train Strikes Railway Track at Shin-Kanuma Station

TOKYO — An express train entering a station hit and killed four people performing weed control work on a railway track, officials confirmed on Thursday.

The incident took place at Shin-Kanuma Station, north of Tokyo, on the Tobu Nikko Line, involving the Tokyobound Spacia express train, authority sources reported.

All four casualties—a trio of workers plus a supervisor—have been taken to a hospital where they were later pronounced deceased, according to police and the operating company, Tobu Railway Co.

Six others present at the scene—including two additional staff members, three onlookers, and an on‑site supervisor—remained safe, Tobu Railway disclosed. The task assigned to the unit was to apply herbicidal sprays along the right‑of‑way.

Nearby passengers numbered roughly fifty and suffered no injuries.

Railway officials asserted that the circumstances leading to the workers’ continued presence when the train arrived, as well as the activities of the lookout personnel, are still under investigation. They indicated full cooperation with investigative authorities.

The lookout role requires alerting fellow crews to approaching trains and coordinating a swift evacuation; they raise a handkerchief toward the locomotive, prompting the driver to sound the horn and move ahead with caution. Early accounts from the workers hint at potential miscommunication, though the precise events prior to and during the incident remain under examination by official bodies.

While serious train collisions are infrequent in Japan, known for reliable service, this tragedy represents a grave exception.

Takao Suzuki, head of Tobu’s railway business division, issued an apology for the loss of life, stating, ‘We treat this severe accident with gravity and will implement preventive measures to ensure it never recurs.’

Trains operating on the line were placed on hold for several hours, after which service was restarted later Thursday, according to authorities.

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