Image courtesy of Wikipedia / Photo by Saruno Hirabano
The “Linear Chuo Shinkansen” is a planned project that will connect Shinagawa and Nagoya in just about 40 minutes, traveling at 500 kilometers per hour. Instead of wheels, the train will levitate using the power of “superconductivity.” The total construction cost is a massive 11 trillion yen. However… (Shunsuke Niwa, President of JR Central, March 2024) “Opening in 2027 is not feasible.”
In March 2024, JR Central officially abandoned its previous goal of opening in 2027. The former governor of Shizuoka Prefecture stopped the project due to “water issues,” etc. The main reason is… (Heita Kawakatsu, former Governor of Shizuoka Prefecture, 2017) “There are only disadvantages. I strongly urge them to reconsider taking this construction in Shizuoka Prefecture.
They need to think again.” Former Governor Kawakatsu of Shizuoka Prefecture stopped the project, citing “water issues” and other factors that the construction would affect, and the project has remained at an impasse for many years. Then, in May 2024, Governor Yasutomo Suzuki, a proponent of the Linear Shinkansen, took office. However, the prerequisite for construction to begin was that the prefecture and JR Tokai complete “dialogue” on 28 items across three areas, including “water resources,” “biodiversity,” and “tunnel excavated soil.” What are the chances of construction starting this year? In this context…
(Shizuoka Prefecture Governor Yasutomo Suzuki, March 27) “We have held over 360 discussions over nearly 10 years. Reaching a certain conclusion is truly significant.” Shizuoka Prefecture stated at a prefectural expert committee meeting held on March 26 that “eight items related to ‘biodiversity’ were approved, and all the dialogues that are prerequisites for construction have been completed.” If JR Tokai submits construction plans and the prefecture approves them, construction will begin, increasing the possibility of construction starting this year. (Governor Suzuki) “I would like to ask JR Tokai to continue to respond sincerely so that such a decision can be made as soon as possible.”
Shinagawa-Nagoya opening expected to be 2036 or later However, the Shizuoka section is expected to take at least 10 years from start to completion, so even if construction starts this year, the opening of the Shinagawa-Nagoya section is expected to be 2036 or later. JR Tokai commented on March 26, “In order to open the line as soon as possible, we would like to start tunnel excavation work in the Shizuoka section as soon as possible, and we would like to work sincerely to gain the understanding and cooperation of the local community.”
