"While we cannot project a new opening date, we will continue to do everything we can toward launching as soon as possible," JR Central President
Another JR Central senior executive at the meeting suggested the delays mean the project may not open until 2034 or later, citing the original plans that required 10 years for construction. The executive said there are few prospects of shortening the process.
The Linear Chuo Shinkansen project is intended to link
Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu has cited environmental impact concerns in opposing the project, which requires extensive tunnels for the vast majority of its 286-km route to
In a statement issued Friday after JR Central's decision, Kawakatsu said he "will as quickly as possible make progress in talks with JR (Central) toward balancing the promotion of the Linear Shinkansen project and environmental preservation."
A document from JR Central issued ahead of the meeting cites the inability for construction to begin in the Shizuoka section as the "direct cause" for the delay in completing the
Chief Cabinet Secretary
In December, JR Central revised its opening date to 2027 or later, but maintained it was not the case that it had abandoned delivery by the target year or delayed the project.
The high-speed rail line was intended to be rolled out in two phases, with the
Once completed, the project is expected to link
JR Central has said the new line could bring about economic benefits from faster transit times, and serve as a vital backup between the country's three major metropolises in the event of major disasters such as powerful earthquakes involving potential tsunami.
==Kyodo
© Kyodo News International, Inc., source