As suggested in the letter dated 10 April from the executives of JR East to UIC members, UIC would like to give all its members an update on the restoration of the East Japan Railway Company network following the earthquake which devastated Japan in March this year.

Regarding the railway network, all Shinkansen operations are scheduled to be running from 29 April and most of the conventional trains in the Tohoku area will also begin operation by the end of April. As for the seven severely damaged sections, JR East is preparing to provide temporary substitute bus services to cover these areas.

The Japan Railways Group, together with local governments, launched a big sightseeing campaign called “Aomori Destination Campaign” (“Aomori DC”) on 23 April as previously scheduled, with the hope that the power of tourism will brighten up Japan. The Tohoku Shinkansen train carries messages on its side to encourage the speedy restoration of the affected areas and will donate a portion of sales from Aomori DC to the affected area.