TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday that his government will continue to provide support to achieve the existing goal of fully opening the Chuo Shinkansen magnetic levitation train line as early as 2037.

Kishida made the remark at a meeting with the governors of Aichi, Shizuoka and six other prefectures through which the maglev line will run between Shinagawa Station in Tokyo and Osaka Station in western Japan.

“In order for the project to proceed properly under the current schedule, we will strictly monitor the environment and water resources, as well as the financial situation of JR Tokai (Central Japan Railway Co.), and provide necessary guidance and technical support,” Kishida said at the meeting.

After the meeting, Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura told reporters that the prime minister’s remark was “very reassuring.”

JR Tokai has abandoned the 2027 partial opening of the maglev line, between Shinagawa and Nagoya Station in Aichi, as former Shizuoka Governor Heita Kawakatsu opposed the start of construction in his prefecture, citing environmental concerns. The extension of the line to Osaka is also feared to be delayed beyond 2037.

But hopes for a breakthrough are growing after Yasutomo Suzuki, who supports the maglev project, became Shizuoka’s new governor in May.

JIJI Press