Shizuoka Governor to Approve Maglev Line Construction

Shizuoka, June 24 (Jiji Press)--Shizuoka Governor Yasutomo Suzuki plans to approve the construction of a local section of the planned Chuo Shinkansen high-speed magnetic levitation train line, people familiar with the matter said Wednesday.

Suzuki plans to announce the approval at a prefectural assembly meeting on July 7, the people said.

Prior to his announcement, the governor will meet with Shunsuke Niwa, president of Central Japan Railway Co., or JR Tokai, on July 1, the company that plans to build the maglev train line.

JR Tokai plans to build the 286-kilometer line that will connect Shinagawa, Tokyo, and Nagoya, a city in central Japan. Only the 8.9-kilometer Shizuoka section, which will run underground beneath the mountains of the city of Shizuoka, has not received local consent.

The company aims to start the construction of the section this year, but the opening of the Shinagawa-Nagoya line is unlikely at least until 2036.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]