--- title: "Japanese Rail Workers Build Adorable Track Underpasses for Turtles" description: "To prevent turtles from getting crushed in railroad tracks, Japanese rail workers built a turtle crossing underneath the tracks." date: "2023-04-09" modified: "2023-04-09" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/japanese-rail-workers-build-adorable-safe-passage-for-turtles" categories: - "News" --- # Japanese Rail Workers Build Adorable Track Underpasses for Turtles ![]() Turtles near Japan's Nara Prefecture now have safe passage across the local [train ]()tracks. Despite being small and adorable, the little turtles sometimes get caught in the switch rail mechanism—which switches the direction of the tracks—and they get crushed. When that happens, not only are the turtles killed but the rails don't fully switch and have to be serviced before trains can safely pass. According to [*The Japan Times*](), this has happened 13 times between 2002 and 2014. So to save turtles' lives, and prevent further disruption, Japanese railway workers built the turtles their own tunnels under the tracks. These U-shaped concrete tunnels sit beneath the railroad tracks near the switch points, giving the turtles a much easier means of crossing. [Railway ]()workers will check the tunnels for turtles during their periodic track inspections and will relocate any stuck turtles to an aquarium. The five concrete tunnels were built only a month ago, at two stations in the Nara Prefecture, and so far have saved ten turtle lives. ![]() “The system prevents turtles from getting into accidents and avoids causing trouble for our passengers. We hope to continue using it,” said a West Japan Railway spokesperson. In the video below, you can see the shelled reptiles drop into their subterranean turtle crossing (although, one falls on its back, which might be an issue with the tunnel ingress) and it seems to give them plenty of room to cross underneath the tracks. Although, one end of the tunnel seems to be closed off, so it's unclear if these channels are designed to keep the turtles in there until railway workers can get them, of if they're designed to guide the turtles in a specific direction. Either way, this innovation will prevent countless turtles from being squashed and keep train schedules on time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJZU5wiZmoE&t=1s *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()