Chūō Shinkansen
The Chūō Shinkansen (中央新幹線) is a planned Japanese maglev line designed to ultimately connect Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. The line is intended to be built by extending and incorporating the existing Yamanashi test track (see below). An initial extension of the track from its present length of 18.4 km to 42.8 km is currently under construction.[1] The line is expected to connect Tokyo and Nagoya in the first stage in 40 minutes, and eventually Tokyo and Osaka in an hour, running at a maximum speed of 505 km/h.[2] The Chūō Shinkansen is the culmination of Japanese maglev development since the 1970s, a government-funded project initiated by Japan Airlines and the former Japanese National Railways (JNR). JR Central now operates the facilities and research. The trainsets themselves are popularly known in Japan as Linear Motor Car (リニアモーターカー rinia mōtā kā), though there have been many technical variations.
Government permission to proceed with construction was granted on May 27, 2011. Construction of the line, which is expected to cost over ¥9 trillion, is expected to commence in 2014.[3] JR Central aims to begin commercial service between Tokyo and Nagoya in 2027, with the Nagoya-Osaka section to be completed in 2045.[4] JR Central is considering opening up partial maglev service between Kofu, Yamanashi and Sagamihara, Kanagawa around 2020.[5]
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Miyazaki and Yamanashi Test Tracks [edit]
In the 1970s, a test track for maglev research and development had been built in Miyazaki Prefecture. As desired results had been obtained at the –now former– Miyazaki test track, a new eighteen-kilometre test track with tunnels and bridges and slopes was built at a new site in Yamanashi Prefecture, between Ōtsuki and Tsuru (35°34′58″N 138°55′37″E / 35.5827°N 138.927°E). Residents of Yamanashi Prefecture and government officials were eligible for free rides on the Yamanashi test track, and over 200,000 people took part. Trains on this test track have routinely achieved operating speeds of over 500 km/h (310 mph), making this embryonic part of the future Chūō Shinkansen the world's fastest railway. Work is currently under way to extend the track a further 25 kilometres along the future route of the Chūō Shinkansen, to initially bring the combined track length up to 42.8 kilometres. The work is expected to be completed by 2013, and will allow researchers to test sustained top speed over longer periods.[1] The existing Yamanashi test track is presently being used to test its JR–Maglev trainsets for durability and cost reduction. JR Central intends to restart public train rides on the Yamanashi test track, this time for paying customers, likely on weekends and during the summer vacation period, from fiscal 2013 or later.[6]
Route choice [edit]
The Chūō Shinkansen's proposed route follows the Chūō Main Line between Tokyo and Nagoya, and the Kansai Main Line between Nagoya and Osaka. The routes pass through many sparsely-populated areas, but the routes are more direct than the current Tōkaidō Shinkansen route, and time saved through a more direct route was a more important criterion to JR Central than having stations at intermediate population centers. Also the more heavily populated Tokaido route is congested, and providing an alternative route, if the Tōkaidō Shinkansen were to become blocked by earthquake damage, was also considered. JR Central sometimes refers to the track as the Tokaido Bypass. The route as originally planned included a stop in Nara, but in 2012 politicians and business leaders in Kyoto petitioned the central government and JR Central to change the route to pass through their city. A final decision is pending.[7]
JR Central announced in July 2008 that the Chūō Shinkansen would most likely start at Tokyo's Shinagawa Station, citing difficulties in securing land at nearby Tokyo and Shinjuku stations for a maglev terminal, but the route has not been finalized.[8]
A JR Central report on the Chūō Shinkansen was approved by a Liberal Democratic Party panel in October 2008, which certified three proposed routes for the Maglev. According to a Japan Times news article, JR Central supports the more direct route, which would cost less money to build than the other two proposals, backed by Nagano Prefecture. The latter two plans have the line swinging up north between Kōfu and Nakatsugawa stations to serve areas within Nagano.[9] In June 2009, JR Central also announced research results comparing the three routes, estimating revenue and travel time, which showed the most favorable being the shortest Plan C, with long tunnels under the Japanese Alps (Akaishi Mountains).[10] The Council for Transport Policy for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism concluded on October 20, 2010 that Plan C would be most cost-efficient.[11]
Reportedly, the route's Kanagawa Prefectural station will be at Hashimoto Station in Sagamihara. JR Central announced that one station would be constructed in each of Yamanashi, Gifu, Nagano, and Kanagawa Prefectures.[2] The remaining stations were planned for Kōfu, Yamanashi, Nakatsugawa, Gifu, and near Nagoya Station in Nagoya.[12]
Three routes between Tokyo (Shinagawa) - Nagoya
| Plan name | Route between Kofu - Nakatsugawa |
Distance (km) | Construction costs (JPY) | Shortest journey time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan A | via Kiso Valley | 334 | 5.63 trillion | 46 minutes |
| Plan B | via Ina Valley (Chino, Ina, Iida) | 346 | 5.74 trillion | 47 minutes |
| Plan C | under the Japanese Alps and Iida City | 286 | 5.10 trillion | 40 minutes |
Between Tokyo (Shinagawa) - Osaka
| Plan name | Route between Kofu - Nakatsugawa |
Distance (km) | Construction costs (JPY) | Shortest journey time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan A | via Kiso Valley | 486 | 8.98 trillion | 73 minutes |
| Plan B | via Ina Valley (Chino, Ina, Iida) | 498 | 9.09 trillion | 74 minutes |
| Plan C | under the Japanese Alps and Iida City | 438 | 8.44 trillion | 67 minutes |
Costs [edit]
On December 25, 2007, JR Central announced that it plans to raise funds for the construction of the Chūō Shinkansen on its own, without government financing. Total cost, originally estimated at 5.1 trillion yen in 2007.,[13] has escalated to over 9 trillion yen as of 2011.[3] Nevertheless, the company has said it can make a pretax profit of around 70 billion yen in 2026, when the operating cost stabilizes.[14] The primary reason for the project's huge expense is that it is planned to run in a tunnel for more than 60% of the entire line, and 40 m underground (deep underground) for a total of 100 km in the Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka areas.
Technical [edit]
On December 2, 2003, MLX-01, a three-car train set a world record speed of 581 km/h (361 mph) in a manned vehicle run. On November 16, 2004, it also set a world record for two trains passing each other at a combined speed of 1,026 km/h (638 mph). On October 26, 2010, JR Central announced a new train type, the L0 series, for commercial operation at 505 km/h.[15]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ a b "JR Central unveils L0 maglev". Railway Gazette International. 4 November 2010.
- ^ a b Kyodo News, "JR Tokai to list sites for maglev stations in June", Japan Times, 2 June 2011, p. 9.
- ^ a b "Chuo maglev project endorsed". Railway Gazette International. 27 May 2011.
- ^ "'Maglev launch to be delayed to 2027'". Asahi Shimbun. 2010-04-30. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
- ^ "'JR Tokai plans to start partial maglev service in 2020'". The Yomiuri Shimbun. 2010-11-25. Retrieved 2010-11-26.
- ^ "'Maglev rides to return from 2013'". The Yomiuri Shimbun. 2010-11-26. Retrieved 2010-11-26.
- ^ Johnston, Eric, "Economy, prestige at stake in Kyoto-Nara maglev battle", The Japan Times, 3 May 2012, p. 3.
- ^ "New Maglev Shinkansen line to start from Shinagawa Station in Tokyo". Mainichi Daily News. 2008-07-03. Retrieved 2008-07-03.[dead link]
- ^ "LDP OKs maglev line selections". The Japan Times. 2008-10-21. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
- ^ "JR Tokai gives maglev estimates to LDP; in favor of shortest route". The Japan Times. 2009-06-19. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
- ^ "New maglev bullet train line to run through South Alps". The Mainichi Daily News. 2010-10-21. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
- ^ Bloomberg L.P., "JR Tokai selects stations for maglev", Japan Times, 9 June 2011, p. 7.
- ^ JR東海、リニア新幹線建設を全額自己負担 総事業費5.1兆円, IB Times, December 26, 2007 (Japanese)
- ^ JR Tokai to build maglev system, The Japan Times, December 26, 2007
- ^ http://www.mlit.go.jp/common/000145486.pdf
External links [edit]
- Central Japan Railway's information about the Chūō Shinkansen
- JR Central's website for the Linear-Express service (in Japanese)
- Linear Chūō Express (in Japanese)
- Photo Page with info about the Chuo Shinkansen (in English)
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