A train scraped a car after a railroad crossing gate in the city of Osaka opened before the train passed through, authorities said Tuesday.
No one was injured.
The incident occurred near the Nishi-Tengachaya Station on the Koya Line operated by Nankai Electric Railway.
The gate had opened before the train passed through, and the car entered the crossing.
According to the railway operator, the train driver, who was slowing down the train on approaching the Nishi-Tengachaya Station, noticed the opened gate and applied the emergency brake.
But it was too late, resulting in the train scraping the car.
Nankai said bolts holding down railway sleepers had come into contact with the railway, causing a malfunction to a system that detects approaching trains. The gate opens if the system doesn’t detect an approaching train.
Nankai has removed the bolts in question and is checking whether there are any other bolts in similar positions.
In May 2019, a different railway gate on the Koya Line opened before a train had passed, causing the train to crash into a taxi. Nankai attributed that incident to an electrical wiring malfunction.