[JP] Maglev Project Advances, but Nagoya Station Redevelopment Remains Uncertain

[Miss Maglev]

[JP] Shizuoka Approval Advances Maglev Project, but Nagoya Station Redevelopment Remains Uncertain

Source: Yomiuri Shimbun Online / Yahoo! News Japan
Original title:
静岡工区の着工容認　リニア工事前進したが　名駅見えぬ未来像
Date: July 9, 2026, 15:56
Original language: Japanese
Web link: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/22a45 ... 7f2901d91f
Accessed: July 10, 2026

Approval for construction in the Shizuoka section has shifted attention in the Chubu business community toward redevelopment around Nagoya Station. However, the Chuo Shinkansen opening date remains undecided, while detailed plans for Nagoya Railroad’s major redevelopment project have yet to be established. A clear future vision for the city’s main gateway is therefore still difficult to define.

Nagoya Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Tadashi Shimao said: “[Translated quote] To maximize the benefits of the maglev opening and connect them to the sustainable development of the regional economy, we would like to work energetically with the parties concerned on industrial promotion, attractive urban development appropriate for a maglev station, and the transformation of Nagoya Station into a super terminal.”

Nagoya City first proposed the “super terminal” concept in 2014. The plan aims to simplify transfers among railways, subways, and buses while developing the station district into an international center for business and exchange.

Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa said: “[Translated quote] Centering on urban development around Nagoya Station, we want to work firmly on how to make Nagoya a more attractive city.”

Progress remains uncertain. Rising costs and the technical difficulty of construction effectively forced Nagoya Railroad and its partners to reconsider their redevelopment plans from the beginning. A revised direction is expected during fiscal 2026, but no construction schedule has been set.

The redevelopment concerns more than replacing existing buildings. Nagoya Station brings together Meitetsu, Kintetsu, JR, subway, and bus services, making the reorganization of passenger transfers and pedestrian routes a major transport-planning issue.

Uncertainty over the maglev opening also limits private investment. Businesses, commercial facilities, and hotels need a reliable opening schedule before deciding when and how much to invest. At the same time, JR Central’s construction of the new underground maglev station is moving forward, creating a situation in which development around Nagoya Station appears to be accelerating and slowing simultaneously.

Nagoya City established the Meieki Grand Design Roundtable in April to develop a long-term public-private vision for the entire station district. Discussions on the wider station area will proceed in parallel with the revision of the Meitetsu redevelopment project.

Chubu Economic Federation Chairman Satoshi Katsuno welcomed Shizuoka’s approval, saying: “[Translated quote] This is a powerful step that will give momentum to urban development around the station and other initiatives, and we welcome it.”

Mayor Hirosawa described his ambition for the future station district: “[Translated quote] I want the area in front of Nagoya Station to give people arriving there the impression that this is truly an impressive major city.”

The timetable now depends on when JR Central presents a revised opening outlook, how Meitetsu reshapes its redevelopment plan, and whether public-private discussions can be converted into a concrete urban-development strategy.

Uncertainty also remains over the construction period for the Shizuoka section. JR Central had previously maintained that the work would take “at least 10 years,” leading to speculation that the line might open about a decade after construction begins. Following Governor Yasutomo Suzuki’s approval, however, JR Central President Shunsuke Niwa emphasized the difficulty of the work without repeating the earlier timetable.

The tunnel will pass more than 1,000 meters below the mountain surface in places, while construction must carefully address the Oi River’s water resources and other environmental concerns. Niwa said: “[Translated quote] We believe the construction may be more difficult than we anticipated in 2017.”

Longer-than-expected construction periods in the Yamanashi and Nagano sections reinforce the possibility of further delays. Additional time will also be required for test operations before commercial service begins. As a result, expectations of an opening approximately 10 years after the start of Shizuoka construction now appear increasingly uncertain.