and Jōban services north of Tsuchiura become 10-car or 5-car formations only 15 March 2008: Suica use extended to stations between Hitachi and Takahagi 14 March 2009: Suica use extended to Takahagi – Iwaki and Haranomachi – Yamashita sections 9 September 2009: E233 series 10-car EMUs introduced on Chiyoda Line through services 11 March 2011: During the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, a 4-car train on the line was picked up off the tracks by the tsunami surge and overturned at Shinchi and Tomioka stations. All passengers from the train were evacuated before the tsunami came ashore. Tomioka was affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster and was prohibited entrance without legal permission. 8 January 2014: Thales is selected to design Japan's first communications-based train control system (CBTC) on the line. May 2014: Test-running commenced on the section of the line between and stations closed since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, with the intention of resuming passenger services on this section from 1 June. 1 June 2014: Train operations resumed between Hirono and Tatsuta. 12 July 2016: Train operations were resumed between Odaka and Haranomachi stations in Minami-Soma, Fukushima Prefecture. 20 August 2016: Station numbering introduced with Rapid services being assigned station numbers between JJ01 (Tokyo) and JJ24 (Toride). Station numbers were also assigned to local services between Ayase (JL19) and Toride (JL32). 10 December 10, 2016: The reconstructed section between Soma and Hamayoshida reopened. 1 April 2017: Train services from Odaka south to Namie resumed. 21 October 2017: Train services resumed north from Tatsuta to Tomioka. 14 March 2020: The section between Tomioka and Namie reopens 9 years after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami reconstruction, bringing the full line back to service. 13 March 2021 (planned): Automatic train operation will be activated on the Jōban Line (Local) between Ayase and Toride using the STO (Semi-Automatic) standard. 12 March 2022: The number of direct trains on the Ueno Tokyo Line and Joban Line during the day increases to three per hour. During the daytime hours, the direct train operation between Shinagawa / Ueno and Mito is separated at Tsuchiura Station. Along with this, trains in the direction of Ueno and Mito at Tsuchiura Station will be connected at the same platform. 16 March 2022: Due to the 2022 Fukushima earthquake, a part of the platform was damaged at Nittaki Station in Soma City, and a part of the bridge