Feature｜Sources and Foundation of Growth

New Shinkansen Lines and Linear Chuo Shinkansen

Hokuriku and Hokkaido Shinkansen lines look to early openings

The Hokuriku Shinkansen will open between Nagano and Kanazawa in March 2015. In addition, the interval between Kanazawa and Tsuruga, which currently is scheduled to open in fiscal 2025, will be opened three years early in fiscal 2022, with the aim of pulling forward the opening of the section between Kanazawa and Fukui even earlier. For the incomplete interval between Tsuruga and Osaka, three proposals are being studied: the "Maihara Route" that will involve construction of a new line between Tsuruga and Maihara and use of the Tokaido Shinkansen tracks from Maihara to Shin-Osaka, the "Wakasa Route" that will entail construction of a completely new line over the entire interval from Tsuruga to Osaka and pass near Obama City, and the "Kosei Route", which would use Gauge Change Train operations to enable use of existing tracks and use of the existing Kosei Line to Osaka.
The Hokkaido Shinkansen Line between Shin-Aomori and Shin-Hakodate Hokuto also will open in March 2016. Furthermore, the government has announced a policy to move forward by five years opening of the line between the Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station and Sapporo, which currently is set for fiscal 2035, and will seek to begin operations early along with the Hokuriku Shinkansen.

Linear Chuo Shinkansen finally off the drawing board

More than half a century after the start of research in 1962, another large project has finally moved off the drawing board. It's the Linear Chuo Shinkansen, for which JR Tokai will seek to commence regular operations between Tokyo (Shinagawa) and Nagoya in 2027. The total tab for construction will be 5,523.5 billion yen. Construction costs in the Construction Implementation Plan (Phase 1) released by JR Tokai in August 2014 are set at 4,015.8 billion yen, more than 70% of the projected outlay.
Of this amount, tunnel costs – that is, tunnel construction costs – will reach 1,621.9 billion yen, over 40% of the construction bill (Phase 1). Along the 285.6km stretch between Shinagawa and Nagoya, tunnel intervals will account for 246.6km or about 86% of the entire length. This immense tunneling project will be divided mainly between a mountain tunnel interval piercing Japan's Central Alps, and a shield tunnel interval passing deep beneath the cities where terminal stations, to be constructed underground at Shinagawa and in Nagoya, will serve as basing points.
In addition to the tunnels, the Linear Chuo Shinkansen route will be composed of 23.6km of elevated bridges, 11.3km of regular bridges, and 4.1km of base course track bed. With plans also calling for the route to be extended from Nagoya to Osaka in 2045, "linear demand" will continue well into the future.