Bullet-train driver naps on the job
Automatic controls stopped train at next station
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 We are very shocked. 
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-- Kosuke Sugiyama, West Japan Railways
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TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) -- A Japanese bullet-train driver has brought new meaning to the phrase "a quick nap."
The 33-year-old, whose name has not been released, was questioned by police after falling asleep for about eight minutes at the controls of one of the country's high-speed bullet trains Wednesday.
West Japan Railways said the train may have been traveling at up to 170 mph while the driver was slumbering.
No one was hurt because an automatic control system kicked in, bringing the train to a halt at the next station, Okayama, 340 miles west of Tokyo.
The incident came to light after the dozing driver was awakened by a conductor.
"We are very shocked," said Kosuke Sugiyama of the company's public relations office. "Our business is all about passengers trusting us enough to travel on our trains."
Japan's bullet trains have a reputation for punctuality timed to the second and drivers are a highly trained elite.
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Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
