Tokaido Shinkansen Trains Halted for Track Inspection
Listen to the story
Train services on the Tokaido Shinkansen line were suspended on some sections today, according to a breaking news report from CBC TV.
The Tokaido Shinkansen is one of Japan's main high-speed train lines, connecting major cities such as Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka.
The trains stopped running because track equipment needed to be inspected.
All up-bound trains, which travel toward Tokyo, were stopped along the entire line.
Down-bound trains, which travel away from Tokyo, were suspended only between Tokyo and Gifu-Hashima stations.
Railway officials said the inspection was necessary to check the condition of the track equipment.
The company announced that services were expected to resume at 3:10 p.m.
A related report also mentioned that the wider Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen line, which continues on from Tokaido line, experienced suspensions on some sections as well.
The Shinkansen network is used by hundreds of thousands of passengers every day for business and travel.
Sudden suspensions like this can cause significant delays for passengers, especially during busy travel times.
No further details were given about the exact cause of the equipment problem.
Railway companies in Japan regularly perform safety checks to keep the high-speed network running smoothly.
Passengers affected by the suspension were likely advised to check updated schedules before traveling.
This is a developing story, and more information may be released as it becomes available.
Vocabulary10 words
- Tokaido Shinkansen
- a major high-speed train line in Japan
- suspended
- stopped for a period of time
- track
- the metal path that trains travel on
- inspected
- checked carefully
- resume
- to start again after stopping
- Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen
- a longer train line that includes the Tokaido line and continues further
- delays
- times when something happens later than planned
- schedules
- planned times for trains or events
- up-bound
- traveling toward the main direction, here toward Tokyo
- down-bound
- traveling away from the main direction, here away from Tokyo
Quiz
Answer key
1. A track equipment inspection 2. Tokyo to Gifu-Hashima 3. 3:10 p.m.
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Train services on the Tokaido Shinkansen line were _____ on some sections today, according to a breaking news report from CBC TV.
The Tokaido Shinkansen is one of Japan's main high-speed train lines, connecting major cities such as Tokyo, Nagoya, and _____.
The trains stopped running because track equipment needed to be _____.
All up-bound trains, which travel toward Tokyo, were stopped along the entire _____.
Down-bound trains, which travel away from Tokyo, were suspended only between Tokyo and _____ stations.
Railway officials said the inspection was necessary to check the condition of the track _____.
The company announced that services were expected to _____ at 3:10 p.m.
A related report also mentioned that the wider Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen line experienced _____ on some sections as well.
The Shinkansen network is used by hundreds of thousands of _____ every day for business and travel.
Sudden suspensions like this can cause significant _____ for passengers, especially during busy travel times.
Discussion questions
- Have you ever experienced a train delay or suspension? What happened?
- Why do you think railway companies perform regular safety inspections?
- How important are high-speed trains like the Shinkansen for daily life in Japan?
- What could passengers do to prepare for unexpected travel disruptions?