Quake Disrupts Rail and Airport Services

The earthquake, centered in western Shizuoka Prefecture at a depth of 41 kilometers, registered an upper 5 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale in Chita City, Aichi Prefecture, prompting railway operators to conduct extensive safety inspections of tracks, bridges, overhead power lines and other infrastructure before allowing services to resume.

JR Central said the Tokaido Shinkansen, which connects Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka, was operating at reduced speeds over sections of the line between Shizuoka and Gifu-Hashima stations from the first departures of the day. The restrictions were expected to cause delays of up to approximately 60 minutes in both directions, affecting passengers traveling along one of Japan’s busiest intercity transport corridors.

The disruption was compounded by a separate incident near Tokyo, where a foreign object was discovered on overhead electrical equipment between Tokyo and Shin-Yokohama stations at 7:18 a.m. Power was temporarily cut to ensure safety, forcing Shinkansen services to stop in both directions along the affected section. Operations resumed at around 7:40 a.m., although delays caused by the earlier earthquake continued elsewhere on the line. The incident near Tokyo was not related to the earthquake.

Conventional JR services were among the hardest hit, with several important routes suspended from the first trains on Sunday morning while JR Central inspected railway facilities for possible earthquake damage.

On the Tokaido Main Line, services were suspended in both directions between Toyohashi and Nagoya, disrupting a major railway connection across eastern and central Aichi Prefecture. Between Nagoya and Maibara, trains continued operating but at reduced frequency, limiting capacity for passengers traveling toward Gifu and Shiga prefectures.

JR Central initially expected services between Toyohashi and Nagoya to resume at approximately 9 a.m., although the timetable depended on the completion of safety inspections.

The Chuo Main Line was also affected, with services suspended in both directions between Nakatsugawa in Gifu Prefecture and Agematsu in Nagano Prefecture. Trains between Nagoya and Nakatsugawa operated on a reduced timetable, affecting travel between Nagoya and communities in the Kiso Valley. The suspended section was initially expected to reopen at approximately 8 a.m.

On the Taketoyo Line, all services between Obu and Taketoyo in Aichi Prefecture were suspended, cutting a railway connection serving communities on the Chita Peninsula. JR Central initially targeted approximately 9 a.m. for the resumption of operations.

The Iida Line, which runs through mountainous areas of Aichi, Shizuoka and Nagano prefectures, was suspended between Shinshiro and Tenryukyo. Trains were not operating over the affected section from the beginning of the day, with services initially expected to resume at around 9 a.m.

The shutdowns affected passengers across a broad geographical area, extending beyond the communities closest to the epicenter and disrupting connections between major regional railway networks.

Meitetsu, one of central Japan’s largest private railway operators, reported extensive disruption across its network, with numerous lines suspended while inspections continued.

The company’s early morning announcements showed that almost its entire railway network was affected by suspensions, cancellations, delays or reduced services. By 7:05 a.m., some sections had reopened, but eight major routes remained partially or fully suspended.

On the Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line, services remained suspended between Ko and Toyoake stations, disrupting travel along the main railway corridor linking eastern Aichi with the Nagoya metropolitan area.

The Nishio Line was suspended between Nishio and Shin-Anjo, while the Mikawa Line was closed between Hekinan and Sanage, affecting services across the industrial and residential districts of central Aichi.

The Toyota Line was suspended between Akaike and Umetsubo, disrupting railway connections serving Toyota City and surrounding communities.

Services also remained suspended on the Tokoname Line between Otagawa and Tokoname, the Kowa Line between Otagawa and Kowa, and the Chita New Line between Fuki and Utsumi.

One of the most significant consequences was the complete suspension of the Meitetsu Airport Line between Tokoname and Chubu Centrair International Airport, leaving passengers unable to reach the airport by train as of 7:05 a.m.

Meitetsu urged travelers heading to the airport to consider other forms of transportation until railway services could be restored, warning that operations would resume only after inspections had been completed and the safety of railway infrastructure confirmed.

The airport disruption posed particular difficulties for passengers with scheduled flights, as the railway provides a principal public transport connection between central Nagoya and Chubu Centrair, which serves both domestic and international destinations.

Despite the disruption to ground transport, major airlines reported that flight operations themselves had not been affected by the earthquake.

Japan Airlines said in an update at 8 a.m. that its group flights were expected to operate normally, with no earthquake-related operational disruption identified. However, the airline cautioned passengers that some ground transportation services had been suspended and urged travelers to check local transport information before leaving for the airport.

All Nippon Airways similarly reported at 7:30 a.m. that the earthquake had not affected its flight operations. The airline nevertheless warned that public transportation connecting Nagoya with Chubu Centrair had been disrupted and advised passengers to confirm available services before traveling.

The distinction between flight operations and airport access was particularly important for travelers, as scheduled flights could continue even when passengers faced difficulties reaching the terminal by rail.

Nagoya’s subway network was also affected, adding to the disruption across the metropolitan area.

The Higashiyama, Tsurumai and Sakura-dori subway lines were suspended along their entire routes from the first scheduled services on Sunday morning because of the earthquake.

The Meijo and Kamiiida lines were also expected to experience delays, reducing the reliability of connections across the city and complicating journeys involving transfers between subway, JR and Meitetsu services.

Nagoya’s municipal bus network, however, was scheduled to operate normally from the morning, providing an alternative for some passengers affected by the railway shutdowns.

Kintetsu Railway also conducted inspections of its track infrastructure following the earthquake. The operator said that if no abnormalities were discovered, it planned to operate its morning services normally.

The Aonami Line, which connects Nagoya Station with Kinjo-futo in the city’s port area, reported that trains were operating normally on November 8th. However, the operator warned that elevators at several stations had stopped functioning because of the earthquake and might be unavailable to passengers.

The elevator outages presented additional difficulties for wheelchair users, passengers with limited mobility and travelers carrying heavy luggage, even where train services themselves were unaffected.

Local bus services were not universally disrupted. Tokai City, which recorded a lower 5 on the seismic intensity scale, announced that its Ranran community buses would operate normally, while directing passengers to Meitetsu for updates on railway services.

The transport disruption followed an earthquake that was felt across an extensive area of Japan, from the Kanto region through central Japan and into western parts of the country.

The strongest shaking was recorded in Chita City, while lower 5 intensity was observed in several other municipalities, including Toyota, Seto, Handa, Kariya, Tokai, Miyoshi and Shinshiro in Aichi Prefecture, as well as Ena in Gifu Prefecture.

The earthquake injured at least 24 people in Aichi Prefecture, according to information available at 6 a.m., and caused damage to buildings, including shattered showroom windows at an automobile dealership in Toyohashi City and collapsed sections of residential block walls.

The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that further strong earthquakes could occur over approximately the next week, particularly during the following two to three days, and urged residents to remain alert to the possibility of shaking similar in intensity to the initial earthquake.

The agency also cautioned that falling rocks and landslides could occur in areas where the ground had been destabilized, particularly if additional earthquakes or rainfall followed.

Although the earthquake occurred within the anticipated source region of a major Nankai Trough earthquake, the agency said it originated within the Philippine Sea Plate rather than along the plate boundary associated with the largest earthquakes expected in the region. It reported no notable changes in plate conditions indicating a heightened risk of a major Nankai Trough earthquake.

For railway operators, the immediate priority was ensuring that tracks, structures and electrical equipment were safe before restoring normal timetables.

While several JR Central routes had been given provisional reopening targets between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., those estimates did not constitute confirmation that services had resumed. Meitetsu had not announced firm reopening times for several of its remaining suspended sections in its 7:05 a.m. update.

The disruption affected long-distance travelers, regional rail passengers and airport users on a Sunday when many people were expected to make leisure journeys or return home ahead of the working week.

Passengers traveling through Nagoya or along the Tokaido corridor were advised to check individual train services rather than rely on normal schedules, as reduced frequencies, cancellations and delays could continue after the initial safety inspections were completed.

Travelers connecting between Shinkansen services, conventional JR lines, Meitetsu trains and flights at Chubu Centrair faced particular uncertainty, with the restoration of one transport service not necessarily guaranteeing that onward connections would be available.

Railway operators continued their inspections and recovery operations during the morning of November 8th, with the timing of a full return to normal services dependent on safety checks and the possibility of further seismic activity.

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