The Tohoku Shinkansen has suspended all services between Tokyo and Morioka in both directions after an obstruction was found on the overhead wires between Koriyama and Fukushima, JR East said on its website. The operator has given no estimate for when trains will resume, and staff are on their way to the site.
The halt severs the main line north from the capital, stopping trains well short of their usual northern terminals. JR East did not say what the object was or how it reached the wires.
Overhead-wire trouble has repeatedly disrupted the Tohoku Shinkansen, and a single obstruction on one stretch of track is enough to stop the whole line. The operator has not said how long the inspection and repair will take.