After Kuzakai summit follows the long and – with continuous landslides and flooding – dangerous descent over innumerable bridges and through dozens of tunnels through almost uninhabited wilderness to Miyako. On the way at Moichi (87 km from Morioka) there used to be a connection with the line to Iwaizumi, but the latter was closed in 2010. For some time the few little stops that existed on the eastern side of the pass were prettily decorated with flowers and partly still saw station staff, but today this is but a memory.
The most important link between Morioka and Miyako today is the road, on which a relatively frequent bus service is provided. Huge construction works are now turning the road connection into an express highway, cutting through the mountains in an almost straight line.
The railway's pass route over Kuzakai Pass has many times been interrupted due to natural disasters. In 1946 the upper part of the eastern side was devastated and remained closed until 1954. Heavy rainfall and typhoon as well as earthquake and landslide damage has occurred frequently in recent years, necessitating partial closure. On December 11, 2015, diesel car KIHA 110-132 ran into a landslide above Hiratsuto and had to be left lying where it was until May, 2017. The line could not be fully reopened until November 5, 2017.
Freight services ended in 1986, and the freight branch to Miyako port (2 km) was closed in 1984.
Today (2019) the Yamada-sen in the direction Morioka to Miyako is served by 2 accelerated trains at midday, and 2 stopping trains in the evening. In addition there is 1 accelerated service in the mid-morning which runs on specific days and partly requires seat reservation; this train is worked with an eye to guests from Tokyo heading for the Sanriku coast. 2 morning trains Morioka to Kami Yonai, 2 trains Kawauchi to Miyako, and 2 Moichi to Miyako complete the timetable in the direction Morioka – Miyako. In the other direction we see a stopping train in the early morning, then an accelerated train, and 2 more stopping trains in the evening. Just after midday there is the seasonally run accelerated train with necessary seat reservation on certain days. In addition, there is 1 morning train Miyako to Moichi and 1 to Kawauchi, 1 train in the afternoon Miyako to Moichi, and 1 Miyako to Kawauchi in the evening. 2 morning trains work Kami Yonai to Morioka.
Construction of the Yamada-sen took place gradually between 1923 and 1934 as far as Miyako. The coast line began to take shape in 1935, Kamaishi being reached in 1939.
As mentioned, the coast line from Miyako via places with an important fishing industry – Tsugaruishi, Rikuchû Yamada, and Ôtsuchi – to Kamaishi was entirely destroyed in the Tsunami of March, 2011. Before that, this section was relatively busy, with 10 stopping trains a day and at certain times tourist trains, occasionally working right through from Sendai via the Sanriku coast to Hachinohe. The little towns themselves, located in the flatter delta area of the mountain rivers, were completely overrun by the tidal wave, with horrific loss of life. Much of the railway infrastructure was smashed beyond recognition, and Rikuchû Yamada, together with its prettily decorated station, disappeared in the fires that broke out. After enormous efforts to rebuild and secure the region with many miles of new dams and river regulation systems the coastal towns could gradually be rebuilt; much of the housing now is located in higher regions and up the valleys. The railway line through the coastal hills and forests was reinstated, while the towns saw complete new stretches of line and have received neat new stations. On March 23, 2019, rail services between Miyako and Kamaishi (55, 4 km from Miyako) were resumed. The railway is now no longer in the hands of JR but belongs to the Sanriku Tetsudô, which has thus been able to connect its northern section (North Rias Line, Kuji to Miyako) to its southern section (South Rias Line, Kamaishi – Sakari).
