Japan’s renowned bullet train network saw its northeastern corridor restored on Tuesday afternoon after a powerful earthquake shook Aomori Prefecture, forcing operators to shut down part of the line for emergency checks.
JR East suspended operations between Morioka and Shin-Aomori early Tuesday to inspect the tracks and electrical systems for quake-related damage.
After confirming that the infrastructure was safe, trains were allowed to resume running from 3:40 p.m. onward.
The suspension disrupted travel plans across the region, resulting in 26 service cancellations, significant delays to nine trains, and inconvenience to nearly 17,000 passengers.
In one notable incident, 60 travellers were forced to spend the night inside a halted train, unable to continue their journey until buses were deployed the next morning.
Despite the earthquake measuring 7.5 in magnitude, officials reported that there were no injuries, and normal operations were safely restored.