The failure to overcome local opposition is making it difficult for the company also known as JR Central to achieve its target year for operation of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen, which will have a top speed of 500 kilometers per hour.
With the
During the first meeting with Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu,
Meeting the press after the meeting, however, the governor said, "It can't be approved." Some local people have claimed that the planned route, a large part of which is underground or in tunnels, runs the risk of disrupting groundwater and damaging the natural environment in
During the meeting at the Shizuoka prefectural government office, Kawakatsu said that while he is not opposed to the project itself, "We have to consider how to strike a balance between the Linear and the environment."
He said the local government needs to hear more opinions from scientists.
"It's regrettable that I was not able to obtain confirmation," Kaneko told reporters following the meeting, which the prefectural government, in a rare move, streamed live on its website.
JR Central wants to start preparatory construction work for a section of the line in the central
The company has said that if the preparatory work does not begin this month, it will be hard to commence operation of the new bullet train service between Shinagawa, the
Under the current plan, JR Central intends to excavate a mountainous area in Shizuoka Prefecture known as the Southern Alps to build a tunnel for the shinkansen.
But local farmers are concerned that the construction work would cause underground water to flow into the tunnel and, as a result, reduce water flow in the
In response, JR Central has said it will take steps to restore the water to the river, including setting up tunnels and pumps.
In an attempt to ease the stalemate, the transport ministry, acting as a mediator between the two sides, established a panel of experts whose discussions on the issue and possible measures to protect the environment are still ongoing.
On Friday, top government spokesman
Following the opening of the new high-speed train system, JR Central plans to extend it to
While JR Central hopes to start operations between
The maglev train project is viewed as a second high-speed link for the country's three key metropolises --
==Kyodo
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