Woman hit by bullet train at Sendai station

Highly unlikely that the train jumped off the tracks and ran down the platform, which is the only place that passengers are permitted. She must have either been on the tracks or performing an incredible balancing act that enabled her to hang in front of the train. More details are required...

Accident or suicide attempt?

The Shinkansen tracks have guard walls beside them. Maybe she was leaning over one, or had her hand over the rail? Bizarre.

Walking towards the train while "swaying" she could be hesitating before trying to jump, could be inebriated, could be exhausted, could be some medical condition. Sounds like they're just not sure enough to call it deliberate or accidental.

No platform gates here in Fukushima either - and no-one has ever jumped. Lets just hope and pray she is ok - and that there are no overly litigious people among the 9000 "inconvenienced". Accidents can happen in any situation with moving objects.

Speculation is over.

Seriously, there's absolutely no excuse for the insane cost of the platform gates in Japan, and no reason why there shouldn't be 10 foot tall high-tension wire mesh covering the entire platform, with centrally locks and unlocked electro-magnetic gates.

If they put cheap gates as you suggest, you would be the first to complain that toddlers get squeezed, maimed or killed by such gates (that already happened with elevator or building automatic doors costing 20 times what you suggest).

I dont get the description. If she was on the tracks, shed be dead. My best guess is she stumbled into the side of the train while it was still moving.

Leaning over the tracks to get a photo of the train arriving. That's my guess.

suicide maybe ?

@Miko,

From recent updates, they are nearly sure it's a suicide attempt. She tried to jump as the train arrived. Sad.

wow, some of you guys have not been to the country. Many stations don't have protective guard rails. travel a little and see this beautiful country.

Well, according to the news, it was a 'sesshoku' accident. 'Sesshoku' means 'touch' or 'contact' so yeah, she might have 'made contact' and somewhat dragged by the train when it was already passing by her. Anyway I hope she recovers from this.

. If she was on the tracks, shed be dead.

Not necessarily, as the trains can be very slow at arrival, particularly in a big station. Whatever, the question is whether she lost balance, was pushed or jumped...

the bullet train platform at Sendai Station does not have any guard walls or automated gates http://www.47news.jp/localnews/miyagi/2013/05/post_20130511074749.html

my guess: mobile muchu (absorbed).

Probably werating 15cm heels talikng/texting on her phone, doing her make up and draging a case 1meter behind.

Japanese news say that she "touched" （接触）the train as it entered the station. No gates. She is from Fukushima, but I don't know it anything can be speculated based on this

People do not 'accidently' fall onto the front of an oncoming Shinkansen unless the are drunk or suicidal. She was not drunk! Draw your own conclusions.

Sounds like a suicide to me!

suicide maybe?

"The Shinkansen tracks have guard walls beside them"

The woman must have the power to transcend them guard walls then.

In a country where lawsuits take years to resolve and common sense was usually the thing that protected people, I can see this just a stupid mistake. The majority of these stations do not have gates. But when the train actually stops at the station, they move about 20kmh. When the Shinkansen is passing the station with no gates, the alarm sounds letting those know a big fast machine is going to speed by. In both scenarios both indicate that people should use common sense. My speculation was that she didn't purchase the reserved seat ticket and was trying to be the first one in line to get a seat. No one really drinks on the platform. They buy their beer and snacks then get inside to eat and drink. Waltery also has a good idea too

My guess seems to be correct.

OMG!!! There are protective guard rails at each station. No doubt, she must have stepped in front of the train as it was slowing down. Lucky for her, the train was almost at a complete stop. Now she has to suffer from her injuries. What a waste!

Actually she might have been drunk. The translation mentioned she was "wobbly" according to witnesses. In any event, whether it was a suicide attempt or a drunk woman's accident, it suggests a deeper psychological problem may be involved. Remember, the folks in Sendai did experience the Great East Japan Earthquake as well, even though they got away less damaged than places further North. Are the people in Sendai able to access the same kind of services as people in, say, Ishinomaki? Is counseling available for people suffering from PTSD? This only piques my curiosity about this incident.

Police have not yet determined..., cops should move faster than that to prevent future incident like that!

100 yards of galvanised wire mesh = $300 20 steel fencing posts = $75 10 electromagnetic locks (300lbs) = $410 Total cost = < $1 000

Saving a human life? Priceless

Seriously, there's absolutely no excuse for the insane cost of the platform gates in Japan, and no reason why there shouldn't be 10 foot tall high-tension wire mesh covering the entire platform, with centrally locks and unlocked electro-magnetic gates.

I have small kids and hate going to busy cities where people regularly jostle the kids on the platforms.

Maybe this woman was trying to commit suicide, maybe she was drunk, maybe she was tired, maybe the heel of her shoe just broke... but in every case a simple wire fence would have prevented this.

"Police have not yet determined how part of the woman's body came to be in the path of the train"

My guess is there are still no platform barriers in place.