Rail services disrupted in Japan's Kyushu

OSAKA - Train services on the Kyushu Shinkansen Line (high-speed line) have been suspended since the morning hours on Monday due to overhead wire damage occurred near Kumamoto station in Kumamoto City of southwestern Japanese island of Kyushu, affecting thousands of passengers and their travel, local press reported.

The accident occurred at around 9:00 am local time after the 17-meter-long arm of a truck crane hit the overhead wire and caused a series of system problems to provide power for the high- speed line according to Japan's public broadcaster NHK.

The report cited Kyushu Railway Company as saying that train services between the island's central Hakata Station and Shin- Minamata Station are fully suspended while the services between Shin-Minamata Station and Kagoshima-Chuo Station were resumed early afternoon.

Although the railway operator is investigating details of the damage for earlier recovery, severe disruption to train services to/from the Hakata terminal station is expected to continue on Monday.