TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Suspended coupled bullet train services in northeastern Japan resumed Friday, the operator said, after safety checks were completed following an incident last week in which linked shinkansen trains disconnected while in motion.

JR East said full operations are expected from Saturday and metal fittings will be used to secure coupling levers in drivers' compartments to prevent a recurrence.

The March 6 decoupling incident was the second in under six months on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line. The suspension had affected trains on the Akita and Yamagata shinkansen lines.

JR East is the only railway operator that connects different train types for shinkansen services.

The latest decoupling occurred on a service involving the Hayabusa and Komachi high-speed trains on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line connecting Tokyo to the northeast.

It was traveling at around 60 kilometers per hour when the disconnection occurred, triggering its automatic brakes. No one was injured in the incident.

The first decoupling of shinkansen trains while in motion on the same line took place in September.