Tech Chuo Shinkansen project stalled over environmental impact

[thomas]

Japan's maglev project, supposed to be a milestone in passenger transport by connecting Tokyo and Nagoya in just 40 minutes, has faced several backlashes. Construction on the approximately 300-kilometre-long stretch, 90 per cent of which are tunnels, is progressing only slowly while costs continue to skyrocket. With some 10.5 trillion JPY already invested in the Chuo Shinkansen project, the planned inauguration in 2027 looks more untenable.

Last week, the president of Central Japan Railway Co., Kaneko Shin, and Shizuoka governor Kawakatsu Heita failed to resolve an impasse delaying construction work on the maglev line. The bone of contention seems to be an 8.9-kilometre stretch in Shizuoka.

Kaneko said that the company will take measures to mitigate a possible decrease in water levels in a river and impacts on ecosystem in the prefecture, which the prefectural government has argued could occur as a result of a tunnel construction there. Kawakatsu, however, didn't change his cautious stance, resulting in no breaking the deadlock. Prefectural officials argue that construction of a tunnel will cause groundwater to flow outside the prefecture, resulting in a decrease in the volume of water available in the Oigawa river, which runs through the prefecture. Therefore, the prefectural government has demanded that all water lost in this manner be returned to the river if the company proceeds with construction. It also has demanded that the construction not impact the ecosystem in mountainous areas in the prefecture.

JR Tokai, Shizuoka leader still at odds over maglev line plan | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

In 2015, the maglev set a speed record of 603km/h (374mph) at its test facility in Yamanashi.

Japan maglev train breaks world speed record again

A Japanese magnetic levitation train breaks its own world speed record, hitting 603km/h (374mph) on a test run near Mount Fuji.

www.bbc.com

YamanashiCity LinearInspectionCenter(EnglishPage)

YamanashiCity LinearInspectionCenter Offical Site

www.linear-museum.pref.yamanashi.jp

 

[cloa513]

High speed rail is political rather than a proposition that makes financial- normal high speed rail costs 10 times per kilometer and the profitable part is small.

 

[mdchachi]

It's crazy that it's still cheaper to fly from Tokyo to Kansai than to take the currently existing shinkansen.

 

[Petaris]

It's crazy that it's still cheaper to fly from Tokyo to Kansai than to take the currently existing shinkansen.

I would much rather take the shinkansen then fly that hop but the price difference is just insane. It was going to be about $750 USD for five people one way from Tokyo to Kyoto and ended up being much cheaper to fly and we would have had to pay that on the return trip as well. The railpass wasn't worth it for us as while we were there we would be almost always using the Kintetsu lines.

 

[cloa513]

It's crazy that it's still cheaper to fly from Tokyo to Kansai than to take the currently existing shinkansen.

Trains requires lots of infrastructure- every 100 m of rail needs to looked after whereas planes just don't require nearly as much.

 

[thomas]

Trains requires lots of infrastructure- every 100 m of rail needs to looked after whereas planes just don't require nearly as much.

I wonder how their total carbon footprint compares on that route (shinkansen vs planes).

 

[mdchachi]

Trains requires lots of infrastructure- every 100 m of rail needs to looked after whereas planes just don't require nearly as much.

That could be but I bet there are also some subsidies involved.