OSAKA -- Railway services were resumed to and from Kansai Airport by West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) and Nankai Electric Railway Co. on Tuesday, two weeks after Typhoon No. 21 damaged the bridge connecting the airport with the mainland.
Transportation to the airport has dramatically improved ahead of Friday's scheduled restart of regular domestic and international flights at the airport in Osaka. Before the typhoon, 80 percent of people coming to and from the airport are said to have used trains.
The first train to go over the 3.8-kilometer bridge belonged to Nankai Electric Railway's Airport Line, and departed from Nankai-Izumisano Station at 5:20 a.m. About 170 people got on board, and the train arrived at the airport in 10 minutes, passing by the highway from which a damaged bridge beam has been removed.
Both railway companies are operating on their normal time schedules from the first train of the day.
The typhoon caused a tanker to crash into the bridge, which pushed part of the bridge's highway section about four meters to the side. Part of the railway tracks on the bridge also moved sideways by about 50 centimeters.
In addition, the crash bent rails and supporting pillars of the railway section that suspend cables.
Railway services were initially expected to resume on Friday but were back three days ahead of schedule as it was confirmed that the railway's bridge beam had no structural problems and the repair work went smoothly.
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