The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) approved JR Central's plan to change the opening date from "2027" to "2027 or later" on June 28 with regard to the Linear Chuo Shinkansen, which has been delayed in starting construction in Shizuoka Prefecture.
On the 14th of this month, JR Central decided to change the opening date of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen, which connects Shinagawa in Tokyo and Nagoya, from "2027" to "2027 or later", and applied to the government.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism approved this change on the 28th, and Shigeki Murata, Director General of the Railway Bureau, handed over the approval letter to Shunsuke Niwa, president of JR Central.
Regarding the Linear Chuo Shinkansen, Shizuoka Prefecture has not approved the start of construction, citing concerns that the tunnel construction will reduce the amount of water in the Oigawa River, which flows through the prefecture, and that it will have a negative impact on the ecosystem of the Southern Alps.
For this reason, although all the plans necessary for construction have been approved, there is still no prospect of an opening date.
After receiving the approval letter, President Niwa told reporters, "There is no change in the situation that it is difficult to open in 2027 and we cannot indicate a new opening date.