Tokyo, Nov 19 (IANS): Japan's JR Hakodate Line resumed operation on Tuesday after a freight train derailment in the country's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido over the weekend caused service disruptions in some sections.

A freight train derailed in a town near Hakodate, a southern city in Hokkaido, on Saturday with no report of injuries, disrupting some passenger and commercial railway services, Xinhua news agency reported.

Overnight restoration efforts, including replacing broken rails and damaged ties, were completed by early morning on Tuesday.

JR Hokkaido reported that the accident caused the cancellation of 104 trains, including express and local services, impacting approximately 19,500 passengers.

At a press conference on Monday, JR Hokkaido suggested that significant rail corrosion at the suspected derailment site's crossing might have contributed to the incident. The Transportation Safety Board is also conducting an investigation.