Japan Railway Journal - Season 8 Episode 4

On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake struck, causing severe damage to railways along the Pacific coast. Sanriku Railway in Iwate Prefecture resumed partial service just 5 days after the quake. JR East's Kesennuma Line and part of the Ofunato Line were replaced by BRT (Bus Rapid Transit), and the Joban Line (which runs through Yamamoto in Miyagi Prefecture) relocated its stations and tracks as the town moved inland. See the efforts on how Tohoku's rail network has been fully restored.