JR East: Power supply system malfunction likely caused E8 Shinkansen shutdown
During a test run on Tuesday, an E8 series Shinkansen train stopped between Utsunomiya and Nasushiobara stations in Tochigi Prefecture.
As a result, services on the Tohoku Shinkansen line between Tokyo and Sendai had to be suspended for more than five hours.
East Japan Railway found that the power supply failure may have disrupted the train's motor cooling function, which triggered the safety system designed to prevent overheating.
Also on Tuesday, an E8 train that stopped at Koriyama Station in Fukushima Prefecture and another moving through Fukushima City experienced problems.
Additionally, a malfunction occurred on a train that stopped at Oyama Station in Tochigi Prefecture.
East Japan Railway says it has confirmed that all four E8 trains experienced power supply system problems.
The company says there are no major differences between the systems that supply power in the E8 series and other Shinkansen series.
It says the E8 series will remain out of service until the cause of the malfunction is determined.
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