Bullet train line extended in Japan

TOKYO: Japan extended the nation's bullet train system in northern Japan, but the latest extension was marred by a suspension of services due to strong winds and technical troubles.

The Tohoku "Shinkansen" bullet train line between Tokyo and Aomori fully has been extended by 82 kilometres (51 miles) to Shin-Aomori station, around 600 kilometres north of Tokyo.

"Eventually, the line fully opened after it was extended inch by inch," said Mutsutake Otsuka, chairman of JR East, which operates the line.

"We would like to contribute to the stimulation of local economies with the fast-train system," Otsuka told the opening ceremony at Tokyo station after the first train left for Shin-Aomori station early Saturday.

But the festive mood was overshadowed as strong gusts and troubles with connections forced the operator to suspend services on the line for about an hour, officials said.

The latest extension also came a day after China said one of its passenger trains travelled at 486.1 kilometres an hour in a test run, topping Japan's record speed of 443 kilometres an hour.

Japan has sought to extend the high-speed rail system throughout the country after it opened the "Shinkansen" bullet train line between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka in 1964, when it was heading towards becoming the world's second-largest economy.