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Thursday, 28th January 2016
In Japan Travel News,
Ground breaking ceremony held at Shinagawa maglev station
While trains in Japan are among the fastest in the world, as step towards achieving even greater speeds occurred yesterday (January 27th).
A ground breaking ceremony was held at Shinagawa Station in Tokyo, which will serve as one end of the magnetic levitation (maglev) line to Nagoya.
The new terminal will be 40 metres below the existing station and is expected to go into operation by 2027.
When this happens, the maglev trains that ply the line will be capable of reaching speeds of 500 kilometres per hour.
The Central Japan Railway Company (JR Tokai) has announced there will be four stations on the 286-kilometre route between the capital and Nagoya.
They will be located at Sagamihara in Kanagawa Prefecture; Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture; Iida, Nagano Prefecture; and in Nakatsugawa, Gifu Prefecture.
Sagamihara’s station will also be underground, while the three consecutive terminals will be built above ground level.
The total travel time between Tokyo and Nagoya will be just 40 minutes, knocking off an hour from the current duration.
Almost 90 per cent of the journey will be underground or through tunnels specifically built for the project.
The trains that will operate on the route will be L0 maglev models that do not require a driver and are made up of five passenger cars.
JR Tokai has been testing the new system on a purpose-built piece of track measuring 42.8 kilometres in Yamanashi Prefecture.
When the maglev line finally opens to the public, visitors to Japan will be able to use it to reach the attractions of Nagoya in record speed.
These include a partly reconstructed Edo Period royal residence; the Sky-Boat Ferris wheel; and a selection of fascinating museums that provide insight into the area and its culture.
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