Chūō Shinkansen
| Chūō Shinkansen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
An improved L0 Series maglev train undergoing testing on the Yamanashi test track in 2020 | |||
| Overview | |||
| Native name | 中央新幹線 | ||
| Status | Under construction | ||
| Owner | JR Central | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | 9 | ||
| Website | https://scmaglev.jr-central-global.com/ | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | Maglev | ||
| System | Shinkansen | ||
| Rolling stock | L0 Series | ||
| History | |||
| Planned opening |
| ||
| Opened | 1997 (test track) | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length |
| ||
| Number of tracks | 2 | ||
| Minimum radius | 8,000 m (5.0 mi; 26,000 ft) | ||
| Electrification | |||
| Operating speed | 505 km/h (314 mph) | ||
| Maximum incline | 4.0% | ||
| |||
The Chūō Shinkansen (中央新幹線, Central Shinkansen, lit. 'Central new trunk line') is a Japanese maglev line under construction between Tokyo and Nagoya, with plans for extension to Osaka. Its initial section is between Shinagawa Station in Tokyo and Nagoya Station in Nagoya, with stations in Sagamihara, Kōfu, Iida and Nakatsugawa. Following the completion of the Tokyo–Nagoya line, the line will extend to stations in Mie, Nara and Osaka. The line is expected to connect Tokyo and Nagoya in 40 minutes, and eventually Tokyo and Osaka in 67 minutes, running at a maximum speed of 505 km/h (314 mph). About 90% of the 286-kilometer (178 mi) line to Nagoya will be tunnels.
The Chuo Shinkansen is the culmination of Japanese maglev development since the 1970s, a government-funded project initiated by Japan Airlines and the former Japanese National Railways (JNR). Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) now operates the facilities and research. The line is intended to extend and incorporate the existing Yamanashi test track (see below). The trainsets are popularly known in Japan as linear motor car (リニアモーターカー, rinia mōtā kā), though there are many technical variations.
Government permission to proceed with construction was granted on 27 May 2011. Construction is expected to cost over ¥9 trillion Japanese yen (approximately $82 billion USD) and commenced in 2014. The start date of commercial service is unknown, after Shizuoka Prefecture denied permission for construction work on a portion of the route in June 2020. JR Central originally aimed to begin commercial service between Tokyo and Nagoya in 2027. However, in 2024, Central Japan Railway Co-President Shunsuke Niwa said that due to construction delays a 2027 opening was now impossible and it is not expected to open until at least 2034, then in 2025, it was further pushed back to no earlier than 2035. The Nagoya–Osaka section was planned to be completed as late as 2045, but the date was moved to as early as 2037 following a loan from the Japanese government.