TOKYO -- JR Tokai has taken the first step toward constructing an underground terminal for the Linear Chuo Shinkansen Line. The main railway operator in central Japan last month began making space for construction materials and machines under the Tokaido Shinkansen tracks near Shinagawa station, in central Tokyo.
The world's first commercial "superconducting" maglev train line is slated to go into service in 2027. Passengers can expect to make the 286km journey from Shinagawa to Nagoya in 40 minutes. Plans call for the line to be extended to Osaka in 2045. The distance from Tokyo to Osaka will be 438km. The trip is expected to take one hour and seven minutes.
