Governor Blocked World's Fastest Train Project for 9 Years to Protect Mountain
Known for its technological speed and precision, Japan has overcome one of the largest political and environmental crises in its history. The world's fastest magnetic levitation (Maglev) train project, which will link the country's two giant metropolises, Tokyo and Nagoya, at a speed of 500 kilometers per hour, had been at a standstill for a full nine years due to the opposition of a single governor.
With the Shizuoka provincial administration finally stepping back and granting permission for the massive tunnel excavation 1400 meters deep under the Japanese Alps, the biggest obstacle in front of the $67 billion mega project has been removed.
The Governor of Shizuoka has single-handedly held hostage Japan's most prestigious project for the future.
The reason the governor staunchly and justifiably defended was the environment: the fear that the excavation work would dry up the waters of the Oi River, which is of vital importance in nourishing the agriculture and cities in the region.
While construction of the line was rapidly progressing in other parts of the country, the mountainous region on the Shizuoka border remained untouched. Exhausting negotiations, scientific studies, and political bargaining between the JR Central company, which was carrying out the project, and the provincial administration lasted for 9 years, finally culminating in an environmental agreement this week.
According to the agreement, the company will monitor the groundwater levels in real time and if the excavations divert the water, it will artificially return that water to the river basin.
To understand why this obstinate resistance has resonated broadly in the global press, it's necessary to look at the magnitude of the project and what it promises:
Depth of 1400 Meters: Once the final 8.9 kilometers of the crisis-ridden Alps tunnel is completed, its total length will reach 25 kilometers and it will descend 1400 meters below the surface. This represents one of the deepest excavations ever undertaken in the history of passenger transportation.
Frictionless Speed: Thanks to Maglev technology, the train will virtually float in the air over powerful magnetic fields without touching the rails. This speed, exceeding 500 kilometers per hour, will pose a serious alternative to airplane travel for medium distances.
Time Revolution: The journey between Tokyo and Nagoya, which currently takes approximately 1.5 hours even with high-speed trains, will be reduced to just 40 minutes upon the project's completion.
There is a global race in magnetic train technology.
China is pushing for leadership in this field with trials reaching speeds of 600 kilometers per hour. Meanwhile, Japan aims to make a futuristic show of force in the race by resolving the bottleneck in Shizuoka.
However, the 9-year delay in Shizuoka has dealt a heavy blow to the project's timeline. Considering the difficulty of drilling at this depth through mountains, the sensitivity of preserving underground water, and the uncompromising high-tech standards, it is not expected that this enormous line will be operational before 2036.
This process in Japan has proven to the world that having colossal budgets and flawless engineering may not be enough to bring mega projects to life, no matter where in the world they are. It demonstrated that sometimes, the future of a single river and local community can be considered more valuable than the world's fastest train.
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