On the 13th, service was suspended from the first trains of the day across the entire Kyushu Shinkansen line between Hakata and Kagoshima-Chūō, while pantograph inspections and overhead-line checks were conducted. Service was expected to resume at around 4:00 p.m. between Hakata and Kumamoto and around 6:00 p.m. between Kumamoto and Kagoshima-Chūō.
When a train that had finished service was inspected at the Kumamoto Rolling Stock Depot on the night of the 12th, it was confirmed that a component known as a contact strip was missing from its pantograph. For safety checks, service on the Shinkansen was suspended for about 4.5 hours from around 10:00 p.m. on the 12th. JR Kyushu operated extra trains between Hakata and Kurume and also opened train cars for overnight accommodation at Shin-Tosu and Kumamoto.
A further inspection was conducted on the 13th. Damage was found near Kumamoto Station to a component called a hanger that connects two overhead lines. At Hakata Station, announcements of the service suspension were displayed on information boards and elsewhere, and arrangements for alternative transportation proceeded.
Service across the entire line was expected to resume at around 4:00 p.m. between Hakata and Kumamoto and around 6:00 p.m. between Kumamoto and Kagoshima-Chūō. Formal updates need to be confirmed through announcements by JR Kyushu.