The JR Takasaki Line resumed runs between Tokyo and Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, on Friday afternoon after a damaged telecommunications cable halted trains from the very first run, East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) said.
JR East provided alternative transportation via bus and bullet train as it worked to repair the line, which runs from JR Takasaki Station, just south of Maebashi, to Tokyo Station.
The JR Shonan Shinjuku Line, which links the Takasaki and Tokaido lines, also halted operations between Takasaki and Atami stations, but resumed at around 5:10 p.m.
JR East said the damaged cable at JR Kita-Ageo Station was first noticed at around 4:30 a.m. The damage was preventing information on trains running between Ageo and Jinbohara stations in Saitama Prefecture from being displayed at the railway's control rooms in both Tokyo and Takasaki.
Company officials said they found bite marks on the cable, apparently made by a small animal. Security camera footage showed no evidence of anyone entering the facility.
To prevent crowding and long lines, JR East restricted entry to some stations, including Ageo Station in Saitama, while repairs were underway.
"The school informed me that I could arrive by 10:30 a.m., but I won't be able to make it. Class has already started," said Daigo Takahashi, 17-year-old student at Kumagaya High School.