FOCUS: Local Govts in Japan Press for Shinkansen Railway Lines

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Local governments along proposed Shinkansen high-speed rail routes in Japan are stepping up efforts to advance plans for lines that have remained in the planning stage for more than half a century, with no progress toward construction. Hoping to leverage the Shinkansen as a catalyst for regional economic revitalization, these local authorities are calling for the “basic plan lines” to be upgraded to “development plan lines,” a shift that would prompt full-scale action by the central government and bring the projects closer to realization. Significant hurdles remain, however. In addition to funding issues, questions persist over whether the railway lines can attract sufficient demand and prove profitable enough to justify their enormous construction costs, leaving their prospects uncertain. Earnest Dream Under the 1970 nationwide Shinkansen railway development law, 11 basic Shinkansen routes were designated by 1973. They include the Uetsu route, linking Toyama and Aomori; the Shikoku route, connecting Osaka and Oita; and the Higashi-Kyushu route, running between Fukuoka and Kagoshima. The basic plan outlines each route’s starting point, endpoint and major transit points. Before construction can begin, a route must be upgraded to a development plan, which sets out details such as the operating system, maximum speed, and estimated construction costs. Due to difficulties in securing the necessary funding, none of the 11 routes has been advanced to that stage. Local communities have grown increasingly frustrated as these proposed lines remain shelved decade after decade. In January, the first large-scale rally on the issue was held in Tokyo, bringing together local government leaders from areas along six of the basic plan routes. The event, initiated by Oita Governor Kiichiro Sato, drew about 500 participants, including national lawmakers and officials from the transport ministry. The attendees adopted a resolution calling on the central government to upgrade the routes to development plan status and substantially increase the budget for Shinkansen projects. “We have been kept waiting for half a century. We want our earnest dream to come true,” Tottori Governor Shinji Hirai said at the rally. Hirai is seeking the construction of the Sanin Shinkansen, a line that would run from Osaka through Tottori and Matsue to Shimonoseki. He and other supporters believe the line would help create jobs and reduce regional disparities. When Will They Be Completed? However, financial constraints remain a major obstacle to their realization. The central government’s annual budget for Shinkansen construction remains at around 80 billion yen, most of which is allocated to the extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto to Sapporo, a project promoted under the 1970 law. Also covered by that law are the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension from Tsuruga to Shin-Osaka and the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen section from Shin-Tosu to Takeo-Onsen, both of which have yet to begin construction. The government considers it a top priority to establish a clear timeline for the full opening of these three lines. But all of them face significant challenges, including difficult geological conditions and disputes over their routes, making progress toward completion uncertain. Even if the basic plan lines are eventually approved for construction, the current scale of the budget suggests that work would not begin until after the three priority lines are completed. As a result, it is impossible to predict when construction might start, let alone when the basic plan lines would be finished. In addition, one of the requirements for beginning Shinkansen construction is that the cost-benefit ratio must exceed 1. In other words, only lines expected to generate economic benefits greater than their construction costs can move forward. Given the decline in Shinkansen ridership caused by population losses, this requirement presents an especially high hurdle for the basic plan lines. First Survey In the meantime, there has been a positive development. In fiscal 2026, the transport ministry will conduct its first survey to examine possible routes and costs for one of the 11 lines in the basic plan. The survey will take the form of a “case study,” applying findings from previous research on overseas high-speed railway systems and on methods for increasing the speed of conventional railway lines to a specific route. According to the ministry, this survey differs from the statutory survey ordered by the transport minister for the purpose of upgrading a line to development plan status. Even so, local governments along the proposed routes have welcomed the initiative. Sato said it represents “a step forward from previous years.” Depending on the results, the survey could build momentum toward realizing a long-cherished goal that people in the region have pursued for half a century. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]