Disaster - Hit Joban Line Resumes Full Service
A railway line along the Pacific coast of Fukushima Prefecture has resumed full service nine years after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident halted operations.
The 2011 northeastern Japan disaster forced the suspension of the entire Japan Rail Joban Line, which runs between Ueno Station in Tokyo and Sendai Station in Miyagi Prefecture. Operations resumed gradually as decontamination work progressed.
The entire line was reopened on Saturday, with the 21-kilometer-section of track between Namie and Tomioka stations in Fukushima Prefecture the last to resume.
Railway fans and others looked on as a train departed Namie Station at 5:53 a.m.
The lifting of evacuation orders in nearby areas means trains can now access the stations of Yonomori, Ono, and Futaba.
The resumption of services is expected to improve convenience for residents and encourage more visitors from Tokyo and other areas.
JR says railway disruptions caused by the 2011 disaster are now fully resolved.
