Local News

Initial statistics released one month after the complete opening of the Kyushu Shinkansen route show that a total of roughly 746,000 riders used the route between Hakata and Kumamoto City, for a daily average of 24,100 people. While that is 30% higher than the daily average for the limited express on the same route before Shinkansen service began, is less than the 25,000 people originally anticipated. JR Kyushu suspects the Tohoku earthquake, which occurred before the route opened, held down travel during that period.