Japan bullet train driver leaves cockpit to attend nature's call as train moves at 90 mph

The Japanese bullet train carrying 160 passengers reached its destination by one-minute delay which prompted the authorities to start an investigation. The probe revealed that the bullet train driver had left the cockpit of the train for few minutes to go to the toilet. The driver had handed over the control of the high-speed train to the conductor who was not qualified to drive the Hikari-series train. 

Driver leaves the bullet train cockpit 

As per local reports, a company operating the Tokaido Shinkansen Line has said that it was the first time that the driver on its bullet train has left the cockpit while the passengers were on board. Masahiro Hayatsu, a senior official of JR central while apologising told reporters that the driver's action has been "extremely inappropriate". JR Central has reported the incident to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

The company operating the high-speed train has termed the action a violation of the ministry’s ordinance. The company is considering taking action against the driver and conductor. The incident took place on May 16 as the train carried 160 passengers at 150 kilometres per hour (90 mph) between Tokyo and Osaka. The driver, who has not been named, reportedly had a stomachache and had asked the conductor to take his place while he went to the toilet. The conductor, who was not qualified to drive the Hikari-series train, sat in the driver’s seat during his absence but did not touch the controls, according to the Kyodo news agency. As per JR central rules, if the driver feels unwell on the train, they must report about it to the company's operation centre and hand the controls over to a qualified conductor or stop at the nearest station.

IMAGE: Fikri Rasyid/Unsplash