Oct 12 (NHK) - The approaching Typhoon Hagibis will make railway services almost completely unavailable in the greater Tokyo area on Saturday.
East Japan Railway has decided to cease operations on some of its local lines in and out of Tokyo as well as a part of Shizuoka Prefecture from 9 a.m.
The company, also known as JR East, will reduce the number of services on the Tohoku, Yamagata, Akita, Hokuriku and Joetsu Shinkansen bullet train lines from 11 a.m., before suspending the service later in the day.
JR East says the services will be halted until at least around noon on Sunday, but the stoppage may continue if the typhoon causes damage to the rails and other facilities.
Other railway operators in the greater Tokyo area have also announced their plans to halt services on Saturday.
Services will be suspended from around noon on Tokyu lines, Odakyu lines, Sotetsu lines, Tokyo Tama Intercity Monorail, Tobu lines, Keio lines, Rinkai Line, Seibu lines, Tsukuba Express, Yurikamome and Tokyo Monorail.
Tokyo Metro and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's transportation bureau will also stop services mainly on the above-ground sections on their subway networks from Saturday afternoon.
The railway operators say they will decide on Sunday's operations after inspecting their facilities.
They are calling on the public to stay updated with the latest information.
