Passengers cheered as JR Kagoshima Line resumed full operation after 74-day suspension after Kumamoto earthquake

After the magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Kumamoto, Japan, trains to and from Uto Station on the JR Kagoshima Line to Yatsushiro Station were suspended for 74 days and finally resumed. The picture shows the original disaster situation of Yatsushiro City Railway. (AFP)

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan on July 28. The JR Kyushu Kagoshima Line trains between Uto Station and Yatsushiro Station in the prefecture were immediately suspended. After 74 days, they finally resumed operations today (10th), which meant that the Kagoshima Line was fully back to normal. Passengers cheered loudly, pointing out that this was a big step towards recovery from the disaster area.

According to the "Sankei Shimbun" report, before this, JR Kagoshima Line Uto Station and Yatsushiro Station relied on shuttle buses to carry passengers, supplemented by the Kyushu Shinkansen that was opened in advance in September. However, due to the increase in commuting time, office workers and students are miserable.

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At about 5 o'clock this morning, the first train from Yashiro Station to Kumamoto Station that had previously been suspended departed. Junior high school students began to arrive at the station at about 6:30 in the morning. Yukiko Miyagawa, a junior high school student in Yatsushiro City, said that she originally took the shuttle bus or alternative train to school in Kumamoto City, which took about 2 hours one way. She had to temporarily give up club activities, and now she can finally return to normal life.

Asahi Yoshida, a second-year high school student who arrived at Yatsushiro Station by bus from Uto Station, revealed that today happened to be the school's cultural festival. Previously, when he took the shuttle bus and Kyushu Shinkansen, it was really inconvenient to commute due to the need to transfer and the limited number of flights. Being able to ride on a familiar train is quite reassuring.

JR Kyushu pointed out that due to the deformation of railway tracks and damage to cable columns caused by the Kumamoto earthquake, it used to take less than 30 minutes to travel from Uto to Yatsushiro by ordinary train (stopping at every station), but the shuttle bus that started operating on August 26 takes about 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Affected by the Kumamoto earthquake, the "Hisatsu Orange Railway" with stations in Kagoshima and Kumamoto prefectures is still suspended from Yashiro Station to Higotaura Station. It is expected to restart operations on the 13th of this month. It is the last disaster-stricken railway to resume operations.