A Japan quake slowed bullet trains and cut an airport rail link. Both routes have recovered
After a magnitude-5.7 earthquake, the Tokaido Shinkansen returned to normal speed and the rail link to Chubu Centrair reopened, but travelers were warned of further delays.
Bullet trains recover after inspections
A magnitude-5.7 earthquake in central Japan slowed Tokaido Shinkansen services and temporarily cut a rail route to Chubu Centrair International Airport on Sunday.english +1 Both routes had resumed operation by midmorning, though passengers were warned that delays and cancellations could continue.x
The quake struck western Shizuoka Prefecture at 1:04 a.m. local time on November 8. More than 20 people were injured in Aichi and Shizuoka, according to Kyodo News. No tsunami warning was issued.english
JR Central slowed bullet trains between Shizuoka and Gifu-Hashima while it inspected equipment. Normal speeds resumed across the route at 8:57 a.m., the company told Nagoya TV. The restrictions delayed 29 trains by as much as 52 minutes, affecting about 17,000 passengers.nagoyatv
Getting to the airport
The quake also halted Meitetsu trains between Otagawa and Chubu Centrair for safety checks. At 8:55 a.m., the airport said the link had reopened and its flights were operating normally, but advised travelers to allow extra time because trains could still be delayed or canceled.x
At Nagoya’s Kanayama station earlier that morning, some airport-bound travelers waited for service to resume while others switched to taxis, the Chunichi Shimbun reported.chunichi
Meitetsu’s delay record for the Nagoya–airport corridor lists delays of at least 61 minutes during both the early morning and the period from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time. That is a corridor-wide record, not a claim that every train was delayed by that amount.meitetsu
Check before setting out
The earthquake was strongest in Aichi, where the city of Chita recorded an upper 5 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale. Japan’s meteorological agency warned of possible strong quakes over the following week, particularly in the next two to three days, the Associated Press reported.english +1
Travelers should check their particular train and flight before leaving: restored service does not necessarily mean a normal timetable. The airport’s warning about possible rail delays and cancellations was issued on Sunday morning.x