Railway lines in several areas of eastern Japan remain fractured due to damage from Typhoon No. 19 earlier this month, with no clear prospect for when service will resume.

The disaster dealt an especially serious blow to operators of lines in northeastern regions that only recently recovered from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.

Service on 17 lines in areas stretching from Kanagawa to Fukushima prefectures remain disrupted due to the Oct. 12 disaster, with seven railways in the dark as to when operations will resume, according to data compiled by the land ministry as of 11 a.m. on Oct. 23.

Hakone Tozan Railway Co. in Kanagawa Prefecture halted service on its line, as several sections of the railway were covered in earth and other debris brought by floodwaters during the typhoon.

It is not known when operations will resume.

In the area covered by East Japan Railway Co. (JR East), it also remains unknown when service will resume for part of the JR Agatsuma Line where earth and sand flowed in, as well as part of the JR Suigun Line where a bridge was washed away by the swollen river due to the heavy rain.

RESTORATION THWARTED

A section of the Sanriku Railway Co.’s Rias Line in Iwate Prefecture, whose trains run along the coastal area of the prefecture, also remain suspended due to damage from the typhoon.

This past spring, the Rias Line fully resumed operation for the first time since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami and was seen as a symbol of restoration.

According to Sanriku Railway, as of Oct. 23, 113.7 kilometers, or 70 percent of the 163-km line, remains out of service with no clear prospect for recovery.

A total of 63 points along the line were identified as being damaged, including destroyed embankments that left only rails and crossties.

Alternate bus services are being offered between the suspended sections.

Ren Naito, 15, a first-year student at Miyako High School who is busy preparing for a broadcasting club competition, is one of many people affected by the disruption.

"I took an early bus home, as I am worried that I will miss the last one," he said. "I hope service resumes soon."

Sanriku Railway this year had expected to ride into the black with about 30 million yen ($276,000) in revenue, thanks to increased train use by visitors attending a Rugby World Cup game in Kamaishi.

However, the prospect is no longer likely, as the company will need to secure restoration costs. One of two games scheduled to be held in the city was canceled as the typhoon approached the archipelago.

"We're aiming to fully restore all lines within this fiscal year (ending March 2020) at the latest," said Ichiro Nakamura, the railway company's president.

Meanwhile, Abukuma Express Line service connecting Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures also remains suspended in several sections, mainly in areas in Miyagi, where the typhoon damage was severe.

The operator of the line, Abukuma Express Co., based in Date, Fukushima Prefecture, said it remains unknown when the entire line will be restored.

Damage due to landslides and other reasons was identified in 42 places along the railway, with the estimated damage expected to surpass the 430 million yen in damage to the railway from the 2011 disaster.

As the company's annual revenue is at the 680-million-yen level, the damage is considered severe.

By Oct. 23, service between Fukushima and Tomino stations on the Fukushima Prefecture side had gradually resumed, but there is little prospect of a swift resumption of service in Miyagi Prefecture.

About 60 percent of the railway line's passengers use the trains to commute to and from work and school.

Free bus service has been operating on a temporary basis since Oct. 21, offering round trips between Marumori and Tsukinoki stations. However, the buses are unable to reach stations that have narrow access roads.

Railway service by Uedadentetsu Co. connecting downtown Ueda, Nagano Prefecture, with Bessho onsen resort also remains suspended.

A railway company official said that the damage from Typhoon No. 19 to the line between Ueda and Shimonogo stations may be the worst it has ever faced, adding that it remains unclear when service will resume.

Floodwaters that breached embankments along the Chikumagawa river caused the collapse of a red bridge that symbolized the railway.

The line is the last of five once operated by the company. Despite being unprofitable, the company kept the line running at the request of residents.

Transportation manager Tsutomu Yazawa said: “We plan to restore the line, instead of abolishing it. But it will be impossible to do within this fiscal year."