Osaka Metro Fault Strands Expo Visitors After Central Line Suspension

An equipment failure on Osaka Metro’s Central Line late Wednesday night forced the operator to halt trains on the sole rail route to the Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025 site, stranding thousands of visitors on the artificial island of Yumeshima. Osaka Metro said the problem, believed to involve power-supply or signalling gear near Cosmo Square Station, led to a system-wide suspension at about 9:28 p.m. before limited shuttle operations were restored between Yumeshima and Cosmo Square roughly 40 minutes later. With outbound trains severely curtailed, the Expo kept its gates open well past the scheduled 10 p.m. closing, and crowds remained at the venue into the early hours. The Osaka City Fire Department reported receiving 23 emergency calls by midnight, largely for suspected heat exhaustion and other health complaints as visitors waited in humid summer conditions. The stoppage came during one of the Expo’s busiest periods, highlighting the vulnerability of relying on a single rail corridor to the site. Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura apologised for the disruption and said the city and operator would review contingency plans, including additional bus services, to prevent a repeat. Osaka Metro had not provided a timetable for fully resuming regular service as of late Wednesday.