Recent Linear Situation
For some time now, various matters have arisen regarding the construction of Japan’s Linear Central Shinkansen Line, and with it, various opinions have been raised about the need for the Linear Line and its opening.
This is not just a technical topic, but also a political one, and it become a very complicated one.
Overview of the Linear Central Shinkansen Line
The grand plan was to connect Tokyo and Osaka at a maximum speed of 500 km/h, shortening the trip to 67 minutes, but construction has delayed seven years due to problems in Shizuoka.
What is problems in Shizuoka?
Shizuoka Prefecture continues to refuse to allow construction to begin. The main reason, they claim, is the “water problem” that the construction of the tunnel will drain groundwater from the “Southern Alps”(南アルプス) and reduce the volume of water in the “Oi River”(大井川), which flows through the central and western parts of the prefecture.
Of course, the impact on nature should be thoroughly discussed, but other underlying reasons are alleged to be at play
Shizuoka Prefecture is originally served by a Shinkansen line, and this Linear Shinkansen line will not stop in Shizuoka. This would not be an interesting story for Shizuoka Prefecture, which had profited from the Shinkansen.
The governor of Shizuoka Prefecture, who had continued to throw unreasonable demands at Japan Railways (JR), the company constructing the Linear Linear project, eventually had to resign.
Many people on the Internet have said that the governor of Shizuoka Prefecture has spoil the national interest behind.
The reason for his resignation is that he publicly made a discriminatory remark about his occupation. But, at the time of his resignation, the governor stated that one of his accomplishments was that “I makes delay of construction pushed back the start of the Linear Linear construction from 2027.
So when will it be completed?
Originally, JR was aiming to open in 2027, but this has not been achieved, and it is said that the company is working toward an early opening.
However, the speed of existing Shinkansen lines has improved dramatically since the initial planning of the linear line, and the current Shinkansen line connects Tokyo and Osaka in 2.5 hours.
Under these circumstances, is it really necessary to spend more than 9 trillion yen to build a linear train that can operate in one hour? Under such circumstances, is it really necessary to spend more than 9 trillion yen to build a linear train that can operate in one hour?
Some say it is necessary not only for speed, but also to supplement the current Shinkansen, an important transportation network.
In any case, the opening of the next-generation linear high-speed transportation system in Japan is still a long way off, and we will have to wait and see how it develops.
Japan’s transportation system is exported overseas as an industry, and if the linear transit system is successful, there is a possibility that it will be used outside of Japan, so it is desirable that it be realized as soon as possible.
