Japan’s Maglev Shinkansen Line’s Construction Costs Swell to ¥11 Trillion

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:28 JST, October 30, 2025

Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Central) announced on Wednesday that the total construction cost for the Linear Chuo Shinkansen line, which will carry maglev bullet trains between Shinagawa in Tokyo and Nagoya, is expected to increase by about ¥4 trillion to ¥11 trillion.

This also represents a doubling from the initial projected cost of ¥5.52 trillion for the approximately 286-kilometer line. The company had previously forecast a rise of approximately ¥1.5 trillion compared to the initial estimate, bringing the total to ¥7.04 trillion in 2021.

The increase is mainly attributed to soaring material costs and challenges in construction.

In the second upward revision, the approximately 4-trillion-yen increase includes ¥1.3 trillion to cover soaring material, labor and other costs and ¥1 trillion as a buffer against future inflation. Additionally, ¥1.2 trillion is to cover challenges in construction, such as making tunnels in weaker-than-expected ground, and ¥400 billion yen is mainly for anticipated increases in material costs due to revisions to the structural design of tunnels. These estimates are based on a provisional 2035 target for opening.

“We take seriously the fact that the total construction cost has reached ¥11 trillion,” said JR Central President Shunsuke Niwa, at a press conference in Nagoya on Wednesday. “On the other hand, realizing the Chuo Shinkansen project is necessary for our company to fulfill its mission of contributing to the development of Japan’s major transportation arteries and social infrastructure.”

The company plans to cover the increased cost through utilizing Shinkansen operating revenues and borrowing.

JR Central has not specified an opening date for the maglev line, partly due to uncertainty surrounding the start of tunnel excavation in the Shizuoka construction zone.