Linear line opening in sight after Shizuoka pact

2026-07-18

Agreement signed on terms for construction

Shizuoka Prefecture and JR Central on Monday signed a 'natural environment conservation agreement' needed for main works in the Shizuoka section of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen. Conditions are now in place for work to begin this year in the Shizuoka stretch, the only unstarted section between Tokyo's Shinagawa and Nagoya. Attention will now shift to the opening date, which JR Central may also indicate as early as this year.

Governor Yasutomo Suzuki, JR Central President Shunsuke Niwa and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Vice Minister Satoshi Mizushima were among those attending the signing ceremony at the Shizuoka prefectural office. Suzuki said he wanted the agreement to be effective by closely monitoring JR Central's response. Niwa said, 'We will move forward with preparations so that construction can start as early as possible. We will ensure environmental conservation measures, monitoring and other steps are carried out properly.'

The agreement is based on a prefectural ordinance and includes environmental protection measures by JR Central concerning water resources, biodiversity and tunnel excavated soil. It also spells out a monitoring framework to continuously observe the impact on the natural environment of the Southern Alps. If unforeseen circumstances arise, construction will be halted as needed and the cause and response will be reviewed.

Regional development also agreed

Along with the agreement, the prefecture and JR Central also signed a basic memorandum on regional development. The content envisages that, as the Linear line opens, Tokaido Shinkansen services 'Hikari' and 'Kodama' will increase their number of stops in Shizuoka Prefecture, with the two sides working together on regional development. JR Central also exchanged a written confirmation on regional development with 10 municipalities in the Oi River basin, with Governor Suzuki as a witness.

Suzuki, who on the 7th said he would accept the start of construction, said of the Linear project, 'The real work starts now.' The specific opening date has become the biggest concern for the government and related local authorities.

Focus on how opening date will be presented

The opening of the Shinagawa-Nagoya section, originally targeted for 2027, has been delayed, and JR Central has not disclosed a clear timing until now. Construction in the Shizuoka section is expected to take about 10 years, and there is a view that it will now be completed in 2036 or later.

However, in response to the acceptance of construction, Niwa said, 'The Shizuoka section may turn out to be a more difficult project than initially expected.' He also said of the adjacent Yamanashi and Nagano sections that 'the actual construction period is taking longer than anticipated.' The Southern Alps have complex geology and fault zones, and the project will involve a difficult task of boring a tunnel about 25 kilometres long at a maximum depth of about 1,400 metres below the surface.

The Nagano section was initially due to be completed in autumn 2026, but the schedule has now slipped to around summer 2030. The Yamanashi section has also been pushed back from autumn 2025 to around the end of 2030. Additional work has emerged, including strengthening the arch supporting the tunnel and injecting chemical solutions into the ground to curb spring water.

Speaking to reporters after the agreement signing on the 18th, Niwa said the specific construction start date was undecided, adding, 'The review of the construction schedule will take a certain amount of time. Once the review results are available, we would like to present the opening date as well.'

Meanwhile, the government and local authorities along the route are intensifying pressure on JR Central to show the opening date sooner. Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Yasuyuki Kaneko said during an inspection of the site at the end of March, 'After construction starts in the Shizuoka section, we ask that the opening outlook be promptly clarified and the progress of the work be disclosed.' Aichi Governor Hideaki Ohmura also said on the 7th that he would strongly request a prompt indication of the opening date, and Nagano Governor Shuichi Abe is also calling for an early announcement.

At JR Central, there is a view that the opening date will be announced after construction begins in the Shizuoka section, but the company is also considering presenting it before work starts. However, without a certain degree of progress, precise analysis is difficult and the outlook remains hard to set. If the Shinagawa-Nagoya section opens, the Linear line will connect the two cities in 40 minutes; if it is eventually extended to Osaka, Japan's three major metropolitan areas will be linked in about one hour. Expectations for large-scale redevelopment along the route remain strong, and prolonged delays in opening would inevitably affect a wide range of sectors.

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