Japanese express train derails after hitting bear, stranding 32 passengers overnight

A JR Hokkaido limited express hit a brown bear and derailed on the Soya Line in northern Japan, leaving 32 passengers stuck aboard until morning. No one was hurt, but part of the line remained closed on Monday.

A limited express train in Japan's northern Hokkaido region derailed after striking a brown bear, leaving its 32 passengers stranded aboard overnight. JR Hokkaido said the Sarobetsu No. 3, a four-car KiHa 261 series train bound from Asahikawa to Wakkanai, hit the animal at about 10:48 p.m. on Oct. 30 between Teshio-Nakagawa and Toikambetsu stations.

The crew spotted the bear on the tracks and hit the emergency brakes but could not stop in time, and passengers felt a strong jolt. Hunters and railway staff reached the train at about 6:20 a.m. the next day and found that the first axle of the lead car had come off the rails. No passengers or crew were injured.

A JR Hokkaido KiHa 261 series express train (file photo)

The accident canceled 15 trains on Oct. 31 and affected about 400 people, including cancellations caused by rain. On Monday, Nov. 2, service remained suspended on part of the Soya Line because the derailed train had yet to be moved. JR Hokkaido began running replacement buses between Asahikawa and Wakkanai and gave no estimate for reopening.

The roughly 260-kilometer Soya Main Line, Japan's longest conventional line without electrification, runs through forests, farmland and river valleys and has recorded more bear collisions than any other line in Hokkaido.

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