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On 20 October, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) announced the projected effects of the opening of the Linear Central Shinkansen on the parallel Tokaido Shinkansen Line. The Ministry estimates that the opening of the Linear Shinkansen between Shinagawa and Osaka will create a surplus of transport capacity on the Tokaido Shinkansen, making it possible to increase the number of Hikari and Kodama trains stopping at stations in Shizuoka Prefecture, and increase the number of stops at stations in the prefecture by approximately 1.5 times. The company hopes to appeal to the residents along the line in Shizuoka Prefecture, who are opposed to the start of construction, for increased convenience.

In addition to functioning as an alternative to the Tokaido Shinkansen in the event of a disaster or major renovation, the Linear Line is expected to improve convenience along the Tokaido Shinkansen.

The current timetable of the Tokaido Shinkansen is overcrowded, with up to 12 Nozomi trains running per hour between Shin-Yokohama and Kyoto, stopping only at Nagoya. Hikari and Kodama trains run only five trains in total between Nozomi trains during the busiest times of the day, and passengers are forced to repeatedly wait for Nozomi trains to pass by at intermediate stations.

The results of the survey predict that around 30% of the demand for trains to Nagoya and Osaka will shift from the Tokaido Shinkansen to the Maglev Line after its opening. In that case, the number of Nozomi trains could be reduced and the number of Hikari and Kodama trains could be increased.

The estimated frequency of stops at stations in Shizuoka Prefecture before and after the opening of the Linear Line will increase from one every 20 minutes to one every 12 minutes at Shizuoka and Hamamatsu, from one every 24 minutes to one every 15 minutes at Atami and Mishima, and from one every 30 minutes to one every 20 minutes at Shin-Fuji and Kakegawa.

The increase in the number of stops will also increase the number of visitors from outside the prefecture by approximately 670,000 a year, and the number of inter-prefectural journeys by approximately 710,000. The economic ripple effects, such as tourism consumption, will total 167.9 billion yen over the first 10 years of operation.

Translated info form Sankei: Source: https://www.sankei.com/article/20231020 ... G3RZ4BY5I/ Accessed: 2023-10-23

Shizuoka Governor says linear effects 'lousy in content'

Shizuoka Governor Heita Kawakatsu said on 23 October that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's estimate of the prefecture's economic effects after the full opening of the Linear Central Shinkansen Line, released on 20 October, was "lousy in content. I'm disappointed". While acknowledging the benefits, he pointed out that the number of stops on the Tokaido Shinkansen is based on assumptions and that JR Tokai is in charge of deciding the timetable. The MLIT should make use of the estimates and negotiate with JR Tokai responsibly," he ordered.

The MLIT has estimated that the opening of the Linear Line will reduce the volume of traffic on the Tokaido Shinkansen by about 30 per cent. It is assumed that the Tokaido Shinkansen will make use of this extra capacity to increase the number of stops in the prefecture by 50% of the current level. It was announced that the prefecture would see an economic benefit of 167.9 billion yen over 10 years through increased tourism consumption and other measures.

The construction of the Shizuoka section of the linear line is not expected to start due to the prefecture's concerns about the negative impact on the environment and water resources. The MLIT was aiming to show the prefecture the advantages of the opening of the linear line and to advance the debate. However, the actual timetable will be decided by the operator, JR Tokai, so the number of stops is only an assumption.

At a press conference on 23 March, Governor Kawakatsu said: 'It is obvious that the number of stops in the prefecture will increase with the opening of the linear line. It could give the impression that this is a 50% increase". He revealed that MLIT officials had approached him to explain the contents of the announcement to the prefecture, and stated that he would like to meet with them and ask them about the contents because they are lousy.

Translated info form Japanese News. Source: Nikkei. https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOCC ... 3A0000000/ Accessed 2023-10-23