EXCLUSIVE: Hokuriku Shinkansen Extension Work Unlikely to Start in FY 2026

Tokyo, Dec. 8 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s transport ministry is likely to delay the start planned for fiscal 2026 of construction on the Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train line’s extension linking Tsuruga Station in the central prefecture of Fukui and Shin-Osaka Station in the western prefecture of Osaka, Jiji Press learned Monday. The expected delay mainly reflects a lack of consensus within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Japan Innovation Party, also known as Nippon Ishin no Kai, regarding the currently planned route for the extension, which includes a section between the Fukui city of Obama and Kyoto Station in the western city of Kyoto, the capital of the namesake prefecture located between Fukui and Osaka prefectures, informed sources said. The ministry plans to give up earmarking necessary spending under the government’s budget for fiscal 2026, which starts next April, the sources said. A final decision will be made based on discussions by a ruling bloc project team to be held this week, according to the sources. Initially, the ministry, which included the start of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension work in its fiscal 2026 budget request without showing a specific amount, planned to set aside necessary spending for the construction under the budget if details about the route around the city of Kyoto are decided through ruling coalition talks by the end of this year. On Tuesday last week, however, the JIP decided to propose to the LDP that the Obama-Kyoto route and seven alternative routes be discussed again. There are calls for such a review also within the LDP. Consequently, the focus of the ruling parties’ talks has shifted to whether the review should be made, making it unlikely that details of the current plan will be fixed by year-end. Over the Obama-Kyoto route, the Kyoto prefectural and city governments have expressed concerns about expected major financial burdens and environmental impacts. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]