The operator of a Shinkansen bullet train service in northeastern Japan says it will resume operations along its entire rail line on April 14. Trains have not been running along some sections since a strong earthquake hit the region last month.

Some segments of the Tohoku Shinkansen line connecting Tokyo and northeastern Japan were damaged and a train was derailed by the magnitude 7.4 earthquake on March 16.

Services have been restored in stages, but there are still no trains running between Sendai and Fukushima stations.

East Japan Railway Company, or JR East, initially planned to resume full operations around April 20.

But the company moved the target forward in light of good progress in reconstruction work.

JR East says it will run 80 to 90 percent of the usual number of trains at first. Trains will run at slower speeds than usual on some sections.

It also says normal operations will resume in early May or later.