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Prime Minister Maintains Linear "37-Year" Goal, Visits Mie Prefecture

On the 31st, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reaffirmed the goal of completing the entire Linear Chuo Shinkansen line by 2037 during a visit to Kameyama City, Mie Prefecture. There are concerns about revising the target year for full line opening due to delays in opening the Tokyo (Shinagawa) - Nagoya section. To advance planning for the line west of Nagoya, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and JR Central will participate in a meeting with local governments along the route in August.

During his visit to the proposed station site in Kameyama City, Mie Prefecture, accompanied by Governor Katsuyuki Ichimi, Prime Minister Kishida stated that development would proceed steadily for the Tokyo-Osaka route, asserting his leadership in supporting early opening. He emphasized the need to accelerate the selection of station locations and routes. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and JR Central, previously participating as observers, will join the meeting as official members.

Regarding urban development around the new Linear stations, Prime Minister Kishida expressed his intention to fully support the initiative in collaboration with local governments. Environmental impact assessments for proposed station sites in Mie and Nara Prefectures are ongoing. During his visit to Kameyama City, the Prime Minister received updates on the project from JR Central executives, encouraging cooperation.

The Linear train aims to connect Tokyo and Osaka at a maximum speed of approximately 500 km/h, with the fastest journey taking 67 minutes. JR Central plans to utilize a 3 trillion yen loan from the government's fiscal investment and loan program to complete the full line by 2037, earlier than the initial plan of 2045. However, the goal to open the Tokyo-Nagoya section by 2027 was effectively abandoned in March due to construction delays in Shizuoka Prefecture, where concerns about reduced river water levels from tunnel excavation had led to opposition from former Shizuoka Governor Heita Kawakatsu. As a result, the opening of the section to Nagoya is now projected to be after 2034.

Local governments along the route have expressed concerns about revising the full line opening target due to delays between Tokyo and Nagoya. On June 7, Prime Minister Kishida met with governors of the prefectures along the route and JR Central President Shunsuke Niwa at the Prime Minister's Office. The Linear Construction Promotion Alliance, formed by the municipalities along the route, submitted a request for an early opening of the entire line. Nara Prefecture Governor Makoto Yamashita emphasized the importance of maintaining the 2037 opening target for Osaka, despite the delay to Nagoya, requesting Prime Minister Kishida's leadership.

Prime Minister Kishida, considering the government's support through fiscal investment and loans, responded by committing to supporting the appropriate progress of the Linear project according to the current projected timeline for full line opening. There are high expectations for the positive regional impacts of the new stations, with strong calls for an early opening.

Three locations in Nara Prefecture are candidates for the new Linear stations. One of these, in the Hachijo and Daianji areas of Nara City, where a new station on the JR Kansai Main Line and the Kyo-Nara Expressway Nara Interchange (IC) are being developed, has new urban development plans underway. Nara City envisions the area as a "New Industrial Creation Hub," aiming to attract advanced industries and academic research institutions.

The government's basic policy on economic and fiscal management and reform, summarized in late June, also clearly states the intention to maintain the 2037 target for full line opening. It includes monitoring JR Central's financial status and providing necessary guidance and technical support. To maximize the development benefits, the government will collaborate with local governments along the route for urban development, including around the stations.

To meet the 2037 deadline for full line opening, the government plans to start construction on the Nagoya-Osaka section before the Tokyo-Nagoya section opens. However, JR Central President Niwa stated that it is impossible to start construction to Osaka before the Nagoya opening due to financial and construction capacity constraints. The tunnel excavation requires specialized personnel, and there are challenges related to labor shortages, with insufficient capacity to allocate resources to construction west of Nagoya.

The decision on the route will also take time. The environmental impact assessment for the proposed station sites west of Nagoya, initiated in 2023, is expected to take more than two years. The 3 trillion yen fiscal investment and loan program was decided under the Abe administration in 2016. The funds are allocated solely for the construction costs of the Tokyo-Nagoya section, approved by the government, with total costs for full line opening exceeding 9 trillion yen.

Info based on translated Japanese Media news. Main Source: https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUA ... 4A7000000/ Accessed 2024-07-31