Used to be a time there was a train. The train connected Kumamoto and Oita and was thus known by its cute moniker in remembrance of the feudal names of the two regions, the Hōhisen (豊肥線). Then the quakes broke a hydroelectric plant reservoir, washing away 27 kilometers of track and the land that it traversed.
This has been particularly troublesome for those who live within the Aso caldera and used to use the train to commute to school or shop - it connects with the local line Minami Aso Tetsudo at Tateno Station. Since the quakes, they’ve had to take buses, which adds hours to their journey. But good news: apparently, 80% of civil engineering work such as embankment reinforcement and 30% of track replacement is said to have been completed, and JR has projected that the route will reopen this autumn. Another step on the route to recovery. - William
