September 20 (Comprehensive report by Japanese media) — On the morning of the 19th local time, the coupling between two cars of a Japanese Shinkansen train suddenly broke while the train was running, causing the two cars to separate, but no casualties were reported.

According to NHK, East Japan Railway Company (JR East) said that at around 8 a.m. local time on the 19th, a Tohoku Shinkansen train departed from Akita bound for Tokyo. While the train was traveling at a speed of 315 km/h between Furukawa Station and Sendai Station in Miyagi Prefecture, the coupling between two cars suddenly broke, causing the two cars to separate.

JR East also said that after the accident, both cars automatically activated their emergency braking systems and came to a stop, with the two cars finally ending up about 300 meters apart. The train did not derail, and none of the more than 300 passengers on board were injured. A preliminary inspection found no abnormalities on the exterior of the coupling between the two cars.

Japanese experts pointed out that this was an extremely serious accident that could have caused a train collision. JR East is currently investigating the cause of the accident.

JR East said this is the first time since the Shinkansen began operations in 1964 that cars have separated while a train was running.

After the accident, 72 Tohoku Shinkansen trains were suspended for about 5 hours, affecting the travel of about 45,000 people.