Govt. tries to solve super-fast train dispute

Jul 11, 2020 | News On Japan

Jul 11, 2020 (NHK) - Japan's government is pushing to solve a dispute over a super-fast transport link in the country. The conflict is threatening to delay the 84-billion-dollar magnetically levitated, or maglev, train project.

Vice Transport Minister Fujita Kozo on Friday met the president of Central Japan Railway, or JR Tokai, which is building the line. The maglev will zoom from Tokyo to Nagoya at up to 500 kilometers per hour.

JR Tokai plans to open the link in 2027. But a dispute between the firm and local authorities over the construction of a tunnel in Shizuoka Prefecture could derail that. The Shizuoka government is worried about the impact on water resources.

Fujita proposed pushing ahead with preparatory work for the tunnel, but holding off on construction until a panel of government experts gives environmental clearance. JR Tokai President Kaneko Shin said he would take firm action to resolve the situation.

Fujita later asked Shizuoka Prefecture to allow the preparatory work to begin as soon as possible this month. But governor Kawakatsu Heita refused to agree.

Passengers will be able to travel the nearly 300 kilometers from the capital to Nagoya in just 40 minutes on the trains.

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