Maglev Train Project Sees a Green Light

Construction of Japan’s rapid train system using magnetic levitation (maglev) received a green light with basic approval from a local government. Shizuoka prefecture, which is one of the seven prefectures the train will run through, has approved a plan of Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) to conserve environment in late March. It is expected that the construction of the system will start in Shizuoka section within fiscal year 2026, hoping to finish it in FY2036. 

The government of Japan decided a plan in 2011 to build a maglev train system that would connect two biggest cities, Tokyo and Osaka. In 2014, it embarked on construction of the eastern half of the system between Tokyo and Nagoya. Although it was expected to finish in 2027, the ex-governor of Shizuoka, Heita Kawakatsu, firmly opposed the construction in the Shizuoka section, because of negative impact on environment.

 

The people in Shizuoka rely their drinking water on Oi River, which flows from the north to south in Shizuoka prefecture. The train system is planned to go across the river. Kawakatsu was afraid that the construction would change the flow of the river. JR Central abandoned in 2024 its plan to start operation of maglev train system between Tokyo and Nagoya in 2027.

 

The Shizuoka section has a length of 8.9 kilometers out of whole length of 286 kilometers between Tokyo and Nagoya. According to the construction plan, all the prefectures except Shizuoka will have stations for the train to stop. Shizuoka does not have a big interest, because it will have no train stop for the residents to use. Shizuoka became the only prefecture that opposed the construction.

 

Kawakatsu lost his seat in the gubernatorial election in 2024 and his successor, Yasutomo Suzuki, was basically supportive for the construction plan of maglev train system. Suzuki required detailed research on the environmental impact of the construction. Discussion on the impact of underground water system was wrapped up in June 2024 and so did on soil produced by digging tunnels in March 2026. The last issue about the impact on ecosystem was also finished in March 2026.

 

JR Central is going to have meetings with residents along Oi River in Shizuoka prefecture to explain its plan for the construction. Watching the responses of the residents, Suzuki is supposed to approve the construction plan as soon as later this year. The maglev train system, which will connect Tokyo and Nagoya in forty minutes, will remove the greatest obstruction to be implemented.

 

Facing local opposition, the plan delayed 9 years at least and it will affect the plan for extending it to Osaka. It is obvious that the government of Japan pushed the plan with no complete consensus from local communities. While the government took time to achieve approval, the cost for the construction has doubled from original 5.5 trillion yen to 11 trillion yen, caused by price inflation of building materials. It is still unclear why Japan needs that extremely rapid train system between Tokyo and Osaka.

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