Japan bullet trains resume service after decoupling issue
East Japan Railway Co. said full operations are expected to be in place Saturday.
The decoupling happened for the second time in six months on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line.
On March 6 Hayabusa and Komachi trains on that line decoupled at low speed -- about 37mph -- triggering automatic brakes. Passengers were not injured.
The suspension of service also affected Akita and Yamagata Shinkansen line trains.
According to East Japan Railway, metal fittings will be installed to secure coupling devices in the train driver compartments to prevent future decoupling incidents.
East Japan Railway, also known as JR East, is the only rail company that connects different types of trains for the Shinkansen line connecting Tokyo to Japan's northeast.
The Hayabusa-Komachi No. 9 train was the first to resume service Friday.
The fix intended to prevent future decouplings of bullet trains are metal parts fabricated by JR East to stop couplers from inadvertently unlocking.
The added parts are designed to block unintended decoupling even if an electrical signal is sent to decouple.
Safety testing was done with those parts installed before the bullet train suspension was lifted Friday.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
5 Japanese Cars That Will Have Massive Price Drops in the Fall of 2025
Summer is halfway over, which means you can start looking forward to not just cooler weather, but hot deals on cars. If you are in the market for a new ride and have your sights set on a Japanese brand of car, there's good news on the horizon: during the fall of 2025 several makes and models from Japan are set to see their prices go down, potentially giving drivers a good deal to get behind the wheel. See Next: Try This: GOBankingRates got in touch with Alex Black, automotive expert and chief marketing officer of EpicVIN. He shared the five Japanese cars that will have massive price drops in fall of 2025 based on EpicVIN auction trends and dealership stock. 2021 to 2023 Toyota Camry Estimated Price Drop: $2,000 and $2,500 Toyota produced too many of these Camrys before focusing more attention on hybrids. Black has seen lots of used ones available at the dealers and customers desire SUVs, with large discounts will likely sell through metal ahead of 2026 deliveries. For You: 2020 to 2022 Honda Accord Estimated Price Drop: $1,800 and $2,200 'The new-gen Accord isn't selling like Honda expected,' Black said. 'More used Accords are entering the market as leases expire. More of a good thing? No, it means resale values decrease.' 2022 and 2023 Nissan Altima Estimated Price Drop: up to $3,000 According to Black, the Altima market is slow for Nissan and fleet renters are disposing of thousands in the fall. 'That'll bring the private market prices lower as well,' Black said. 2020 to 2022 Subaru Impreza Estimated Price Drop: $1,500 and $2,000 'Crosstrek and Outback are winning over Subaru customers,' Black explained. 'The sparkle of Impreza has worn off and used ones are stockpiling at the dealership.' 2021 Mazda CX Estimated Price Drop: around $2,000 In Black's professional opinion, the car market's full of mini crossovers nowadays. 'Mazda's putting out new CX versions, so used CX-5s will need to be priced lower to be competitive,' Black said. 'We're getting advance pre-season signals that prices of a few favorite Japanese rides are heading south later in the fall,' Black explained, adding a pro tip to buyers hoping to cash in on the drop in pricing in the second half of 2025. 'If you're purchasing later this year, go bargain hunting in late October or early November. That's the time of year car people panic to make year-end clearance-doubly so if interest rates remain high and buyers continue to wait.' More From GOBankingRates Mark Cuban Warns of 'Red Rural Recession' -- 4 States That Could Get Hit Hard 10 Unreliable SUVs To Stay Away From Buying How Far $750K Plus Social Security Goes in Retirement in Every US Region This article originally appeared on 5 Japanese Cars That Will Have Massive Price Drops in the Fall of 2025


UPI
16 hours ago
- UPI
Tesla to pay $243M for deadly 2019 Florida Keys accident
Aug. 1 (UPI) -- Tesla must pay $243 million for a 2019 accident that killed a pedestrian and badly injured another in the Florida Keys, a federal jury decided on Friday. The accident occurred at a T-intersection after sundown in the Florida Keys in 2019 when the Tesla did not stop and rammed a parked SUV. The collision killed Naibel Benavides Leon, 20, as she stood next to the SUV. Her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, was injured. The Miami jury granted a $43 million award for compensatory damages for pain and suffering and another $200 million for punitive damages arising from the vehicular accident that occurred in the Florida Keys, NBC News reported. Attorneys for the plaintiffs successfully argued Tesla officials overestimated the capabilities of the autopilot program in the Tesla Model S sedan that the defendant was driving. The jury determined the plaintiff's pain and suffering merited a total of $129 million in compensatory damages, but Tesla only pays a third of that amount. The jury assigned one-third of the blame to Tesla and two-thirds to the driver, who said he was distracted while reaching for his cell phone when the accident occurred. The motorist was sued separately from Tesla and was not a party to the federal lawsuit that the jury decided on Friday. U.S. District Court of Southern Florida Judge Beth Bloom accepted the jury's verdict and said she will order Tesla to pay the judgment. The jury of eight found Tesla was partly liable because the vehicle's autopilot system did not brake in time to prevent the deadly accident. Officials for Elon Musk-owned and publicly traded electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla said they will appeal the jury's verdict. "Today's verdict is wrong and only works to set back automotive safety and jeopardize Tesla's and the entire industry's efforts to develop and implement life-saving technology," they said in a prepared statement. "We plan to appeal given the substantial errors of law and irregularities at trial."
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
Lexus is Set To Cut Long-Running Models Within the Next Year
Lexus is Set To Cut Long-Running Models Within the Next Year originally appeared on Autoblog. Lexus hasn't initiated a significant change in its catalog in quite some time, but that familiarity is part of what draws people to the brand. The Japanese automaker is getting ready for a major shakeup, however, and is expected to discontinue several models in the coming months. The long-running Lexus IS and RC will be discontinued late this year, with production of the cars expected to end in November. While that's a bummer, especially the loss of Lexus' excellent V8 in those models, neither car is particularly modern or competitive in its class, with the IS having been on sale since 2014 without a generational update. Lexus' Japanese website states: 'Thank you for considering our vehicles. Production of the IS 500 / IS 350 / IS 300h (AWD) / IS 300 / RC 350 / RC 300h, and RC 300 will end in November 2025. Sales will end once orders reach the production numbers for November. Depending on when you consider purchasing a vehicle, some packages may no longer be available. Please contact your Lexus dealer for details.' The automaker is expected to release a next-generation IS as soon as 2026. Like the new ES, the IS will likely arrive with more electrified options, but the IS 500's iconic V8 probably won't return. The RC may not get a replacement, but spy shots and rumors point to a new sporty Lexus coupe in the near future. Lexus also confirmed the RC F Final Edition has sold out with the following message on its Japan site: "Thank you for your continued patronage of our products. We regret to inform you that the RC F 'Final Edition' has reached its limited number of 200 units and is now sold out. We would like to thank you for your continued patronage of the RC F. The RC 'Final Edition' will be on sale until production ends in November 2025.' Other departures include the LC, which is expected to end production next year, and the UX 300e will end later this year. Reports state that the UX 300h is next, with production ending in March of this probably makes it sound like Lexus is having a tough time of things, but it's more likely that the automaker has reached a natural stopping point for those models. The new ES sedan was just announced, offering compelling new powertrain options, and the all-electric RZ just received an update with more power and faster charging. That's in addition to the brand's wildly popular gas models, which include the new GX, RX, and others. Lexus is Set To Cut Long-Running Models Within the Next Year first appeared on Autoblog on Aug 1, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 1, 2025, where it first appeared.