Society

Nozomi shinkansen to be suspended over virus

Mar 14 (Japan Times) - Central Japan Railway Co. said Friday it will reduce services on its Tokaido Shinkansen line between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka stations later this month, due to a plunge in passengers amid the outbreak of the new coronavirus.

The company, known as JR Central, will cancel some of the Nozomi trains on the line from next Thursday to March 31, with the number of trains to be suspended reaching up to 27 per day. A total of 192 Nozomi trains will be canceled during the period.

Many of the trains to be suspended are those planned to meet an expected surge in travel demand during the spring break period. The company will allow people who have purchased tickets for the affected Nozomi trains to switch to other shinkansen or get a refund.

All Hikari and Kodama trains between Tokyo Station and Shin-Osaka Station on the shinkansen line will be operated as scheduled during the period, the company said.

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A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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