Economy

JR Tokai Breaks Ground on Yamanashi Maglev Station; Will Be Part of Linear Chuo Shinkansen Line from Tokyo to Nagoya

The Yomiuri Shimbun

2:00 JST, March 13, 2026

Courtesy of JR Tokai
A conceptual image of the planned exterior of Yamanashi Prefecture Station

The Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) held a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday for the tentatively named Yamanashi Prefecture Station, marking the start of construction for a series of planned stations between Tokyo’s Shinagawa and Nagoya Station that are set to support the future Linear Chuo Shinkansen maglev train service.

The station, to be used exclusively for the maglev line, is about 7 kilometers south of JR Kofu Station, straddling the cities of Kofu and Chuo in Yamanashi Prefecture. Features of the project will include the station building and a 1.2-kilometer elevated bridge where the platforms will be located. There will be two platforms and four tracks.

The station building will be four stories tall, with ticket gates on the second floor and platforms on the fourth floor.

JR Tokai signed a construction contract with the contractor in September 2025 and has been moving forward with preparatory work since February this year. The construction period is set to last until December 2031.

Attending the groundbreaking ceremony were JR Tokai President Shunsuke Niwa, Yamanashi Gov. Kotaro Nagasaki and various local municipal leaders. “As we proceed with construction, we want to make safety our highest priority and place great importance on cooperation with the local community,” said Niwa.