Transportation
Plans for World’s Fastest Train Service Delayed as Japan Ditches 2027 Target
- Shizuoka prefecture had expressed concerns over impact
- No new date announced, company seeks to get back on track
A magnetic levitation (maglev) train exhibited at Yamanashi Prefectural Maglev Exhibition Center in Tsuru, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.
Photographer: Noriko Hayashi/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Central Japan Railway Co. won’t meet its 2027 target of bringing the world’s fastest train into service by connecting Tokyo and Nagoya using magnetic-levitation technology, the company said.
The rail operator has been unable to start construction in Shizuoka, even though six years have passed since the signing of a construction contract for a tunnel in the prefecture. The ¥9 trillion ($59.5 billion) project has long faced opposition from the local government because of concerns that the excavation of the tunnel will impact river water levels.