Quake - Hit Tohoku Shinkansen To Resume Services In More Sections
The operator of the Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train plans to reopen services in more of the sections that have been closed following a derailment caused by a powerful earthquake.
East Japan Railway Company, or JR East, said on Wednesday that service will resume between Tokyo and Fukushima stations on Saturday, and between Sendai and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto stations on Monday.
JR East says it will put 50 to 60 percent of trains back in service for the time being. Trains will be operated at a maximum speed of about 160 kilometers per hour, roughly half the usual speed.
The company aims to resume service along the remaining suspended section between Fukushima and Sendai stations around April 20.
The magnitude 7.4 quake hit northeastern Japan on March 16. Sixteen cars of a 17-car bullet train running in Miyagi Prefecture derailed. The operator has been working to put the cars back on the tracks.
JR East initially announced that none of the 78 passengers and crewmembers on board were injured, but it now says that so far, five passengers were found to have suffered minor injuries.