Shinkansen Coupled Service Resumes After Decoupling Incident; JR East Adds Metal Fittings to Prevent Problem Recurring

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:11 JST, March 14, 2025

Coupled service for Tohoku Shinkansen trains linked to Akita and Yamagata Shinkansen trains resumed on Friday after being suspended due to an incident in which a Hayabusa-Komachi No. 21 combined train on the Tohoku Shinkansen line decoupled while running.

East Japan Railway Co. said that coupled operations are set to resume for some trains on Friday, and that they plan to return to normal operations from Saturday.

The cause of the incident has not yet been identified, and as a temporary measure, JR East will use metal fittings to secure the machinery in place and prevent decoupling even if a train’s electrical system malfunctions while it is running. The company conducted a test run on Wednesday and said it had confirmed that everything was safe.