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JR Tokai Changes Schedule for Maglev Line Opening From 2027 to ‘In 2027 or Later’; No Start Date for Shizuoka Pref. Construction

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
A Linear Chuo Shinkansen maglev train is seen in Yamanashi Prefecture.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:33 JST, December 15, 2023

Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) announced Thursday that it will adjust the opening date of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen maglev line, which will run between Shinagawa and Nagoya stations, from 2027 to “in 2027 or later.”

The change is due to the delayed construction of a Shizuoka Prefecture tunnel, which currently does not have a start date.

The new construction plan filed with the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry stated the altered timeline. It is the first time JR Tokai has given such an open schedule for the train’s start date.

Hisao Sawada, corporate executive officer of JR Tokai, said the company added the phrase “or later” in light of the situation surrounding the Shizuoka Prefecture tunnel, and as a result, the Linear Chuo Shinkansen maglev line’s opening date is “undecided.”

The construction in Shizuoka has been delayed about six years because the Shizuoka prefectural government, which is concerned about the impact the project will have on aquatic and alpine plants in the surrounding area, has not approved the construction to start.