JR Kyushu said the July 28 earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture damaged more than 200 locations on the Kyushu Shinkansen, primarily in Kumamoto Prefecture, and injured 12 people. Most suffered minor injuries, including bruises, at Shin-Yatsushiro Station or aboard Shinkansen trains. The operator said no trains derailed, unlike during the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, but inspections found broken rails at Shin-Yatsushiro Station and collapsed sound barriers between Kumamoto and Kagoshima-Chuo. Services between Hakata and Chikugo-Funagoya resumed on July 29 with reduced operations, but there is still no timetable for restoring service south of Kumamoto as inspections continue. JR Kyushu said it will accelerate repairs while reviewing how its earthquake countermeasures performed during the disaster. Source: NHK News / JR Kyushu
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