Key Facts
• June 28, afternoon: Tohoku Shinkansen detects unusual noise in Osato, Miyagi.
• Train operations between Sendai and Morioka were suspended temporarily.
• Incident occurred around 4:00 PM on a southbound train.
• JR East halted trains on both lines for safety checks.
• Operations resumed approximately 30 minutes later after confirming no train damage.
• Train driver reported seeing a bear near the tracks.
• Cause of noise believed to be a collision with a bear on the tracks.
• Five trains were delayed by up to 39 minutes.
• Approximately 2,300 passengers were affected by the delays.
Summary
On June 28, a southbound Tohoku Shinkansen train detected an unusual noise while traveling through Osato, Miyagi Prefecture. JR East temporarily suspended operations between Sendai and Morioka stations to ensure safety. The train driver reported seeing a bear, and the noise was likely caused by a collision with the animal. After confirming no damage to the train, services resumed about 30 minutes later. The incident caused delays of up to 39 minutes for five trains, impacting approximately 2,300 passengers.
