JR East on Wednesday confirmed that one of its drivers suffered from heatstroke after a bullet train air conditioning unit failed. JR released a statement to explain why one of its drivers had been substituted for another driver on the Tokyo-bound bullet train service just after 1 p.m. at Akita Station on Sunday. The driver was taken ill while on duty and removed from the train at Akita Station, following which he was transported to hospital to be treated for heatstroke. JR reported that the train was delayed for an hour while the emergency relief driver changeover took place.
The spokesperson added that a further four Tokyo-bound services were delayed as a result of the incident. An investigation into the cause of the incident revealed that the air conditioning was not working in the driver’s compartment and a portable alternative was provided. However, it is believed that the portable cooler was not effective, causing the man to suffer from heatstroke.
