Kyushu Shinkansen Service Suspended for Inspections After Pantograph Problem Discovered
Services on the entire Kyushu Shinkansen line between Hakata and Kagoshima-Chuo stations were suspended from the first train on Tuesday to conduct inspections of electrical equipment.
Services on the entire Kyushu Shinkansen line between Hakata and Kagoshima-Chuo stations were suspended on Tuesday morning, following the discovery of a pantograph problem during an inspection. The malfunction was identified in the pantograph, the device responsible for drawing electrical current from overhead wires to power the train.
Kyushu Railway Co., the operator of the Shinkansen service, stated that normal operations are expected to resume by around 4 p.m. on the Hakata to Kumamoto section, and approximately 6 p.m. on the Kumamoto to Kagoshima-Chuo segment. The issues were first detected on Monday evening, after an inspection of a Shinkansen train that had completed its route in Kumamoto Prefecture.
As a precautionary measure, the service was halted for around four and a half hours, beginning shortly after 10 p.m. on Monday. Additional inspections are being carried out on Tuesday to address and resolve the pantograph malfunction.
Written by urgent.news from The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
