WEEKLY KAGOSHIMA on the Web

Kyushu Shinkansen completed
　Commercial operation of the Kyushu Shinkansen Line Kagoshima route between Shin-Yatsushiro and Hakata stations was begun on March 12 to complete the entire 257 kilometre long line between Kagoshima Chuo and Hakata, together with the Kagoshima Chuo-Yatsushiro line that had been opened earlier. It was a dream-come-true for the citizens of Kagoshima Prefecture—37 years after the project was decided in 1973. It has launched direct train services between Kagoshima Chuo and Shin-Osaka stations via a section on the Sanyo Shinkansen Line.
　Although the inauguration ceremony had been cancelled due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, officials including Kagoshima Prefectural Governor Ito Yuichiro and Kagoshima City Mayor Mori Hiroyuki sent off the first train, “Mizuho No.600” bound for Shin-Osaka.
　Due to the completion of the whole Shinkansen line, Kagoshima Chuo and Hakata can be connected in 1 hour 19 minutes, reducing travel time by 53 minutes. The trip to Shin-Osaka can be made in 3 hours 45 minutes, 77 minutes less than before.
------------------------------------------------------------------
＜タイトル＞
九州新幹線が開通
＜第１パラグラフ＞
Commercial operation of…：・・・の営業運転　　　to ~ Hakata：（新八代－博多間の営業運転が始まったことで）鹿児島中央－博多間の２５７キロが全線開通した　　　together with…：・・・と合わせて　　　It ~ Prefecture：それ（九州新幹線の全線開業のこと）は鹿児島県民にとって長年の夢だった　　　(has) launched…：・・・を開始した（begun, started）　　　direct ~ services：直通運転　　　via ~ Line：山陽新幹線区間を経由して
＜第２パラグラフ＞
Due to…：・・・が原因で（because of, on account of, owing to）　　　the ~ Earthquake：東日本大震災*　　　including…：・・・を含めて　　　sent ~ train：一番列車を見送った
＊今回の地震の名称については、各メディアがそれぞれの定義で「東北地方太平洋沖地震」「東北関東大震災」「東日本大震災」の３つの異なる名称を使用しているようですが、Weekly Kagoshima on the Webにおいては、記事元である南日本新聞に準拠して「東日本大震災」と記載致します。
＜第３パラグラフ＞
Completion：完成　　　Kagoshima ~ minutes：鹿児島中央－博多間は最短で１時間１９分で結ばれる　　　reducing ~ minutes：所要時間を５３分短縮して