Section of Quake-Hit Train Line in Ishikawa Prefecture to Reopen on Monday

The Yomiuri Shimbun

6:00 JST, January 14, 2024

Another section of the JR Nanao Line in Ishikawa Prefecture that was severely affected by the Jan. 1 Noto Peninsula Earthquake will reopen on Monday, West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) said.

The section from Takamatsu Station to Hakui Station will be back in service, extending from the Tsubata-Takamatsu section that resumed service two days after the earthquake.

The entire Nanao Line, which runs 59.5 kilometers between Tsubata and Wakuraonsen stations, was suspended on Jan. 2, putting 10 express trains and 46 local trains on hold. Damage was reported to tracks, overhead wire poles and station buildings, JR West said.

Following safety checks, JR West resumed service on Jan. 3 between Tsubata and Takamatsu stations, but only with local trains making a reduced number of runs.

Since then, the company has continually worked on restoring the remaining sections, straightening out bent tracks, righting tilted poles for overhead power lines and fixing cracks in station platforms.

With work up to Hakui Station expected to soon be finished, the decision was made to restart service up to that point. However, trains will run at reduced speed between Shikinami and Hakui stations, a section that suffered major damage.

JR West is aiming to restart service between Hakui and Nanao station, the second-to-last station on the line, on Jan. 22 or later. Once trains can continue on to Nanao, the company said it will start considering when to resume express runs.

There is no current timetable however, for restarting the section between Nanao and Wakuraonsen, where the damage was particularly extensive.

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