A magnitude 5.7 earthquake that struck central Japan at 1:04 a.m. on Sunday, November 8th, caused widespread transport disruption across the Tokai region, with Tokaido Shinkansen services delayed by up to an hour, major JR and private railway lines suspended,…
AICHI - The Tokaido Shinkansen resumed normal-speed operations across its entire route at 8:57 a.m. on November 8th after a magnitude 5.7 earthquake disrupted rail services across central Japan, with JR Central reporting delays to 29 bullet trains affecting approximately 17,000 passengers, while Meitetsu restored services across its entire network by 9:15 a.m. following widespread morning suspensions.
The earthquake, which struck western Shizuoka Prefecture at 1:04 a.m. and registered an upper 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale in Chita City, Aichi Prefecture, forced railway operators to inspect tracks, bridges, overhead electrical equipment and other facilities before allowing services to operate normally.
JR Central said it had introduced speed restrictions between Shizuoka and Gifu-Hashima stations in both directions from the first trains of the morning while safety inspections were carried out. The restrictions affected 29 Shinkansen services, producing delays of up to 52 minutes and disrupting journeys for approximately 17,000 passengers traveling between Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka.
The company confirmed that safety inspections had been completed and normal operating speeds restored across the entire Tokaido Shinkansen route at 8:57 a.m., ending the earthquake-related speed restrictions.
Meitetsu, which operates an extensive network of private railway services across Aichi and Gifu prefectures, also made substantial progress in restoring operations during the morning.
At 7:05 a.m., eight major sections remained suspended, including the Nagoya Main Line between Ko and Toyoake, the Nishio Line between Nishio and Shin-Anjo, the Mikawa Line between Hekinan and Sanage, and the Toyota Line between Akaike and Umetsubo.
Services were also suspended on the Tokoname Line between Otagawa and Tokoname, the Kowa Line between Otagawa and Kowa, the Chita New Line between Fuki and Utsumi, and the Airport Line between Tokoname and Chubu Centrair International Airport.
The airport suspension was particularly disruptive because it temporarily cut off direct rail access to Chubu Centrair, the region's principal international airport, forcing passengers with scheduled flights to consider alternative ground transportation.
By 8:55 a.m., the number of suspended sections had fallen to three: the Mikawa Line between Chiryu and Sanage, the Toyota Line between Akaike and Umetsubo, and the Kowa Line between Otagawa and Kowa.
Meitetsu subsequently confirmed that operations had resumed across its entire railway network by 9:15 a.m., restoring rail access to Chubu Centrair and reopening routes that had been closed since the morning. The reopening of all sections did not necessarily mean that every train had immediately returned to its normal timetable, following earlier cancellations and delays.
JR Central's conventional railway network experienced more extensive disruption, although a subsequent operating-status bulletin showed that several lines had recovered from the earlier suspensions.
The Tokaido Main Line between Toyohashi and Nagoya was suspended from the first trains, while services between Nagoya and Maibara operated at reduced frequency. The Chuo Main Line was also closed between Nakatsugawa and Agematsu, with fewer trains running between Nagoya and Nakatsugawa.
The Taketoyo Line was suspended between Obu and Taketoyo, while the Iida Line was closed between Shinshiro and Tenryukyo. JR Central had initially targeted reopening between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., subject to safety inspections.
A later railway operating-status bulletin showed normal operations on the Chuo, Taketoyo and Iida lines, although the Tokaido Main Line between Toyohashi and Maibara was still reporting delays or cancellations. The Takayama Line was also reporting disrupted services, while delays affected the Hida and Inaji limited express trains. The bulletin did not establish that every service had returned to its scheduled timetable by midafternoon.
Nagoya's municipal subway system also recovered from extensive disruption during the morning. The Higashiyama, Tsurumai and Sakura-dori lines had initially been suspended from their first services while inspections were conducted, with the Meijo and Kamiiida lines also affected.
By 8:35 a.m., the Sakura-dori Line was operating almost normally, while the Higashiyama and Meijo-Meiko lines were reporting normal service. The Kamiiida Line had returned to almost normal operation by around 8 a.m., although the Tsurumai Line continued to report delays.
The Tsurumai Line had also experienced interruptions to its through-services with Meitetsu, affecting passengers traveling between central Nagoya and destinations including Toyota City and Inuyama.
Other regional operators reported comparatively limited disruption. Kintetsu's Nagoya Line was operating normally in the morning, along with the Toyohashi Railroad network, Linimo and the Aonami Line. The Aichi Loop Railway, however, was still listed as suspended in an earlier regional transport bulletin, and its subsequent recovery status could not be independently confirmed.
Road transportation was also affected, particularly on the Chita Peninsula, where authorities closed several expressways following the earthquake.
As of 3:10 a.m., the Chita Peninsula Road was closed in both directions between Odaka and Handa-chuo, while the Chita Transverse Road was closed between Handa-chuo and Rinku. The Minamichita Road was also closed between Handa-chuo and Toyooka.
The Nagoya Expressway imposed a speed restriction of 40 kilometers per hour across its entire network during the early morning.
The expressway closures created additional difficulties for travelers heading to Chubu Centrair, particularly while the Meitetsu Airport Line was suspended.
However, the restrictions on the Chita Peninsula Road, Minamichita Road and airport access road were subsequently lifted, according to a report published shortly after 9 a.m., allowing road traffic to resume.
The restoration of both rail and road access substantially improved transportation options for passengers traveling to and from the airport.
Airlines reported that the earthquake had not directly disrupted flight operations, although passengers faced difficulties reaching the airport during the morning because of interruptions to ground transportation.
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A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck central Japan early on November 8th, registering an upper 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale in Aichi Prefecture and injuring at least 21 people, while damaging buildings and disrupting Shinkansen and conventional railway services across the region.
The Tokaido Shinkansen resumed normal-speed operations across its entire route at 8:57 a.m. on November 8th after a magnitude 5.7 earthquake disrupted rail services across central Japan, with JR Central reporting delays to 29 bullet trains affecting approximately 17,000 passengers, while Meitetsu restored services across its entire network by 9:15 a.m. following widespread morning suspensions.
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