Chaos for commuters on Tokyo metro as rare power outage halts services on multiple lines for hours

A rare power outage disrupted Tokyo’s morning commute on Friday, halting services on some of the world’s busiest rail lines and stranding thousands of passengers during peak travel hours.

Services operated by East Japan Railway were suspended on multiple lines, leaving commuters scrambling for alternatives. The operator initially said there was no clear timetable for when services would resume but later announced that the trains were expected to run again from 1pm local time.

The disruption spread through the Japanese capital’s transport network, affecting both the inner and outer loops of the Yamanote Line and the entire Keihin-Tohoku Line, which together form the backbone of commuter travel through central Tokyo.

Sections of the Tokaido Line between Tokyo and Shinagawa stations were also impacted, according to the operator.

The power outage was first detected at around 3.50am local time as workers were preparing for the first trains of the day. The situation escalated shortly before 8am, when a fire was reported on the tracks near the Tamachi station, which is served by both Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku lines.

Flames were seen coming from a transformer in the track area, state broadcaster NHK reported. The fire was extinguished within about 30 minutes but damage to equipment forced the continued suspension of services during the morning rush.

Footage broadcast by NTV showed passengers disembarking from a Keihin-Tohoku Line train that had become stranded between stations. Firefighters and railway staff were seen assisting the commuters as they walked along the tracks to get out safely. No injuries were reported.

The Yamanote Line runs in a loop around central Tokyo and connects major districts including Shinjuku, Shibuya and Tokyo Station.

Shinjuku alone handles about 3.5 million passengers per day, making it the busiest railway station in the world.

The Keihin-Tohoku Line links central Tokyo with surrounding urban areas, such as Yokohama, and is one of the capital’s most heavily used commuter routes.

As the disruption continued into the late morning, crowding intensified at major stations, like Shimbashi and Shinagawa. The operator restricted access to some platforms to manage the surge of passengers forced to switch routes while knock-on delays were reported across other lines.

The operator said that even after the affected lines resumed, residual delays were likely to persist.

Authorities are investigating whether the power outage and the fire at the Tamachi station are connected.

Large-scale rail disruptions are rare in Tokyo, but even brief suspensions can ripple quickly across daily life in a city that relies heavily on its rail network.