THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
October 29, 2025 at 18:28 JST
A prototype car for the Linear Chuo Shinkansen Line (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Not only will the start of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen Line utilizing maglev technology be delayed by about eight years but construction costs will also spiral upward by about 4 trillion yen ($26 billion).
Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai), which eventually plans to operate the high-speed line between Tokyo’s Shinagawa Station and Nagoya, announced on Oct. 29 that the start may come in 2035 at the earliest. Initially, the company had sought a 2027 operation start.
Total construction costs are now estimated at 11 trillion yen.
It was only in March 2024 that expected delay in the 2027 start was announced, and company officials cautioned that the new year is only a temporary one for making calculations and should not be considered a new estimated start date.
The maglev has been plagued by difficulties excavating tunnels needed to accommodate the train's high speeds.
Speaking at the Oct. 29 news conference, JR Tokai President Shunsuke Niwa said management functions for the project will be strengthened given the expected increase in costs.
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