A 23-year-old JR Hokkaido worker was caught using his smartphone while driving a limited express train, the railway company says.
The driver was operating a train on the Nemuro Line heading for Sapporo on Monday morning when he posted a private message on Facebook. Another employee of the carrier saw the message and reported it to company officials, JR Hokkaido said on Thursday.
The company prohibits drivers from using cell phones during working hours and requires that they keep such devices in their bags.
JR Hokkaido has been apologizing since May for a series of incidents involving misconduct by its train drivers. In one instance, a driver left his seat to get an autograph from a baseball player. Another was smoking while on duty.