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Typhoon Faxai causes commuter chaos during peak hour in Japan【Pics & Video】

SoraNews24 Sep 9, 2019
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Commuters waited in jaw-dropping queues that stretched for several blocks outside train stations in and around Tokyo.

Typhoon Faxai made landfall just north of Tokyo Bay in Chiba Prefecture at approximately 5:00 a.m. this morning, bringing with it fierce winds and torrential rain right at the time when the first trains of the day were set to run in the region.

Anticipating the strength of the storm, rail companies in the area decided to suspend their services from approximately 10:00 p.m. last night until at least 8:00 a.m. this morning, and while everyone knew this would cause a bump to the start of the week, nobody could anticipate just how busy things would really become.

横浜駅なうもう帰りたい。#台風 #電車 #遅れ pic.twitter.com/Lj6plHyuiV

— Kuroneko (@_m_Kuroneko) September 9, 2019

People who arrived early to beat the crowds during their commute at their local stations weren’t even allowed to enter until rail staff had inspected the train lines and cleared them from fallen trees and debris.

https://twitter.com/waseida/status/1170908088653627392

While notices from rail companies initially stated that trains would commence operations from 8 in the morning, many ended up pushing the start time back by one to three hours to ensure passenger safety. The 8:00 a.m. start time was crossed out and changed to 10:00 a.m. on the Takasaki Line, as it was at many others, including Tokyo’s Yamanote loop line.

８時運転開始が10時になっちゃってる💦 #台風15号 pic.twitter.com/IjnwdFC1OV

— ダットサン🌰小箱とたんのスケブは永久に不滅です! (@YNJD70CpVVkLN6L) September 8, 2019

This delay caused huge crowds to form outside stations, as passengers were forced to wait for hours until normal services resumed.

▼ Waiting for the Yamanote Line gates to open at Ikebukuro Station before 9:00 a.m.

池袋駅やばい。サウナ状態。
山手線・埼京線等9時以降の再開みたい。#台風15号 #埼京線 #池袋駅 pic.twitter.com/NdFVg9LEMM

— わっちー。 (@0924666) September 8, 2019

▼ Commuters at a standstill outside Shin-Koiwa Station in Katsushika City, Tokyo.

台風の影響で朝の新小岩駅が人で埋め尽くされておる....

駅向かう途中でも看板倒れたりしてたし大変だ。。#台風15号 #運転再開 #JR東日本 pic.twitter.com/qMwN3Vmp4Y

— 轟春-goashun-🎸ベーシスト@正規メンバー募集中 (@GOASHUN_bass) September 8, 2019

While we’ve seen crowds at train stations in Japan many times before, the orderly queues that formed this morning were particularly spectacular.

もちろん京王相模原線も運休のまま。
9時運行開始とな( ﾟдﾟ) #台風15号 pic.twitter.com/fIdIS6IbNY

— しのぴ〜@なんでも屋さん (@Pulta_star) September 8, 2019

▼ Waiting for the Chuo-Sobu Line at Chiba Prefecture.

https://twitter.com/yuching1204/status/1170833327898542080

Commuters lined up patiently in the rain outside Takenotsuka Station in Adachi, Tokyo.

竹ノ塚駅
長蛇にならんで20分

進んだのは2歩

会社休みにならないかなぁ#台風15号 #竹ノ塚駅 #長蛇の列 pic.twitter.com/ht6rW869Ef

— 世界のゆう兄 (@sekai_yuni) September 8, 2019

▼ A massive line of people outside Kamiooka Station in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture.

https://twitter.com/masabi0104/status/1170890525135626240

This huge queue could be seen snaking around outside Hiratsuka Station in Tokyo’s neighbouring Kanagawa Prefecture at 8:45 a.m.

駅ビルラスカや銀行沿いに並ぶ人々、わかるでしょうか？平塚駅前、見たこともない大行列です。写真左の方にまだまだ並んでいました😯朝8:45頃🚃
#台風15号 pic.twitter.com/iHtUPCi5jP

— 前田薫里 (@kaori_maeda_y) September 8, 2019

Tokyo’s Mitaka Station was one of the most crowded, as commuters lined up for several blocks to enter the station.

https://twitter.com/bookslope2/status/1170843764983619584

これキツイ#三鷹駅 #北口 #待機列 #中央線 pic.twitter.com/XdnMiihDuB

— ぎわ ξξ *´▽`)ﾉ (@Bey_youkan) September 9, 2019

News reports had announced that the Chuo Line and Chūō-Sōbu Line services at Mitaka Station were set to resume by 8:00 a.m. in the morning. However, normal services didn’t actually resume for several hours.

▼ This scene shows passengers still waiting to get inside the station at 10:30 a.m.

朝8時に運転再開したと聞いていたのですが、10:30になってもまだ入場規制がかかっています。
長蛇の列です。#三鷹駅 #電車 #遅延 pic.twitter.com/FmW3PDM2PF

— 清水法律事務所　bot (@tooru_lawyer) September 9, 2019

▼ And the crowd was still there at 11:45 a.m.

11：45現在、三鷹駅への入場規制がまだまだ凄い事に！並んでいる皆様、お疲れ様です。 #三鷹駅 pic.twitter.com/ezdEQVUbyH

— 有限会社三協住宅社 (@sankyo_k) September 9, 2019

With trains remaining full as they passed through Mitaka Station, services were delayed and access was restricted until 2:21 p.m., when the rail services there eventually returned to normal.

▼ Passengers waited at the gates at Mitaka Station for hours before being allowed to enter.

三鷹駅、入場規制中。#三鷹駅 #JR中央線 pic.twitter.com/P6jyPUcQ7y

— ちゅうちゃん (@chuuchan68) September 9, 2019

Patient commuters waiting in line became a common sight at a number of train stations this morning, and even though the crowded conditions added extra heat to the already warm and humid weather, commuters managed to keep their cool.

▼ At Funabashi Station in Chiba.

https://twitter.com/shun15648com/status/1170852942330490883

With Typhoon Faxai now over the Pacific, Japan is still bracing for more to come as we head into September, a month that’s particularly notorious for typhoons. That means now would be a good time to restock our earthquake/typhoon preparedness kits to ensure we have everything we need to get us through the season.

Source: Net Lab
Featured image: Pakutaso
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