The governor of Shizuoka Prefecture has approved the start of construction on the most challenging section of the future Chuo Shinkansen line. Maglev trains will cover the route between Tokyo and Nagoya in about 40 minutes, but the line is not expected to open before 2036.
One of the world’s most ambitious rail projects can move forward again after nearly nine years of delays.
Yasutomo Suzuki, governor of the Japanese prefecture of Shizuoka, has approved the construction of the local section of the future Chuo Shinkansen line, on which maglev trains will travel at speeds of up to 500 km/h.
The decision removes the main administrative obstacle to the project between Shinagawa Station in Tokyo and Nagoya. Construction in Shizuoka could begin later this year, but completing the section will take at least ten years. Under these circumstances, the Tokyo–Nagoya line is estimated to open in 2036 at the earliest.
A Nine-Year Stall
Construction in Shizuoka Prefecture had been stalled since 2017 due to concerns about the tunnel’s environmental impact.
Former Governor Heita Kawakatsu had warned that tunneling through the Southern Japanese Alps could reduce the flow of the Oi River and affect the water resources used by communities and agricultural activities in the region.
The new governor announced that the prefecture will sign an environmental protection agreement with Central Japan Railway Company – JR Central, the project’s operator and developer. The document is one of the necessary conditions for construction to actually begin.
The Shizuoka section is relatively short compared to the entire line, but involves particularly challenging construction work through the mountainous area. The future line will not have any stations in the prefecture.
Tokyo–Nagoya in 40 minutes
The Chuo Shinkansen will connect Shinagawa Station, located in southern Tokyo, to Nagoya, passing through Kanagawa, Yamanashi, Shizuoka, Nagano, and Gifu prefectures.
Trains will operate at a maximum commercial speed of 500 km/h, reducing the travel time between Shinagawa and Nagoya from the current approximately 86 minutes to just 40 minutes.
In a later phase, the line will be extended to Osaka. The Shinagawa–Osaka trip is expected to take approximately 67 minutes, compared to about 134 minutes on the current Tokaido Shinkansen trains.
The new line will serve as an alternative route to the Tokaido Shinkansen line, which opened in 1964 and has become the main rail corridor between Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka.
The train will levitate about 10 cm above the track
Unlike conventional trains, Chuo Shinkansen trains will not run on rails using wheels at cruising speed.
The Superconducting Maglev system uses superconducting magnets installed on the train and coils mounted in the guideway. Magnetic forces lift the vehicle approximately 10 cm above the track, eliminating contact between the train and the infrastructure.
Propulsion is also electromagnetic, and the absence of mechanical contact allows the train to reach a speed of 500 km/h under stable conditions.
The wheels will be used only at low speeds, during departure and stopping. Once the required speed is reached, the train will rise above the guideway.
JR Central states that the system was designed specifically for operation in a country prone to frequent earthquakes.
The cost has reached nearly EUR 60 billion
The resumption of work in Shizuoka does not solve all the project’s problems. Costs have risen considerably due to delays, geological conditions, and the complexity of the tunnels.
The initial estimate for the Tokyo–Nagoya section was approximately 5,500 billion yen, equivalent to about EUR 29.7 billion.
The budget was revised to 7,000 billion yen in 2021 and subsequently rose to approximately 11,000 billion yen, or nearly EUR 59.4 billion at the current exchange rate.
The original opening date for the Tokyo–Nagoya section was 2027. That deadline was abandoned after JR Central was unable to begin construction in Shizuoka.
Even the 2036 estimate remains contingent on the rapid commencement of tunnel work and the absence of any new technical, financial, or environmental issues.
A technology developed over decades
Japan has been testing magnetic levitation technology for several decades, and experimental trains have reached speeds higher than those planned for commercial operation.
The Chuo Shinkansen, however, will transform the technology from an experimental project into a regular transportation system connecting the country’s most important metropolitan areas.
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