Shizuoka Governor to Approve Maglev Line Construction

Shizuoka, June 24 (Jiji Press)–Shizuoka Governor Yasutomo Suzuki plans to approve the construction of a local section of the planned Chuo Shinkansen high-speed magnetic levitation train line, people familiar with the matter said Wednesday. Suzuki plans to announce the approval at a prefectural assembly meeting on July 7, the people said. Prior to his announcement, the governor will meet with Shunsuke Niwa, president of Central Japan Railway Co., or JR Tokai, on July 1, the company that plans to build the maglev train line. JR Tokai plans to build the 286-kilometer line that will connect Shinagawa, Tokyo, and Nagoya, a city in central Japan. Only the 8.9-kilometer Shizuoka section, which will run underground beneath the mountains of the city of Shizuoka, has not received local consent. The company aims to start the construction of the section this year, but the opening of the Shinagawa-Nagoya line is unlikely at least until 2036. In March, a panel of experts set by the Shizuoka prefectural government approved all measures suggested by JR Tokai to address challenges related to the construction, including a possible fall in the water level of the Oi River. The prefectural government had made the panel’s approval a prerequisite for allowing the construction of the section to begin. Starting in April, JR Tokai explained the measures to the city of Shizuoka and 10 municipalities near the river and received their approvals. In late May and June, the company held 22 explanatory meetings with residents in 11 municipalities. Suzuki welcomed the company’s efforts and told the prefectural assembly on Tuesday that he would be able to give some kind of opinion on the fate of the Shizuoka section in the relatively near future. In 2017, Suzuki’s predecessor, Heita Kawakatsu, expressed opposition to the construction of the section, citing the impact on ecosystems in the Southern Alps mountains in the region as well as the fall in the Oi River’s water level. His opposition forced JR Tokai to abandon its goal of opening the line between Shinagawa and Nagoya in 2027. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]