Four workers in Japan have died after being struck by a train at Shin-Kanuma Station, north of Tokyo, while carrying out track maintenance. The incident highlights the dangers faced by railway maintenance staff and is notable because fatal train accidents are rare in Japan, despite its extensive railway network. Services on the affected line have been suspended following the collision.

The crash happened at around 10:46 local time (01:46 GMT) as the workers were removing weeds from the tracks. When emergency responders arrived, three of the workers were found trapped under the train, while a fourth was on the platform. The train involved was a limited express, one of the fastest services in Japan after the bullet train, and the Tobu Nikko Line operator suspended services as a result. A passenger reported hearing a "strange noise" before the train made an emergency stop, and it remains unclear whether a lookout was stationed to warn the workers of the approaching train, as is usually standard practice.