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Thursday, 25th August 2016
In Japan Travel News,
Japanese government aims to beat Tokyo-Osaka maglev train target
The government of Japan is poised to sink a large sum of money into a new high-speed train link between Tokyo and Osaka.
A total of three trillion yen (£22.6 billion) is to go to the Central Japan Railway Company in a bid to bring forward the completion date of the maglev route.
Initial estimations suggested it would be finished in 2045, but government sources have suggested that increased investment could mean eight years is shaved off the development time.
The new plan will see 1.5 trillion yen handed over to JR Central in both the 2016 and 2017 fiscal years, as part of a scheme, known as zaito locally and considered something of a second budget.
Officially called the fiscal investment and loan programme, it is designed to offer long-term investment at a low rate of interest to projects that will benefit the public.
The original decision by the government to offer three trillion yen for the maglev link has been updated in light of the Bank of Japan’s current negative interest rate policy.
Now, visitors to Japan may be able to see and use the magnetically levitated trains eight years earlier than was expected.
The construction will be done in two stages, with the first connection Tokyo to Nagoya and the second continuing on to Osaka.
When completed, it will take 40 minutes to travel from the capital to Nagoya, halving the time it currently takes.
This is because the innovative new trains will be capable of reaching speeds of 500 kilometres per hour.
Upon arrival in Nagoya, many visitors will make their way to the Naka ward, which is home to many shops and attractions, including fascinating museums.
Among them is Nagoya Castle, which was a royal residence built in 1612 and has since been partly remodelled and displays artefacts from the Edo period of history.