The Shizuoka Prefecture has approved the start of construction on the central section of the 25 km tunnel for the Chuo magnetic levitation (maglev) line, following approval granted by Shizuoka City to JR Central. The prefecture will enter into an environmental protection agreement with JR Central. This was a prerequisite for the start of works, which could begin as early as 2026. The section in Shizuoka involves challenging tunnelling work through the southern Japanese Alps. Work had been on hold since 2017 due to concerns about the impact on the water balance of the River Oi and on regional agriculture. The maglev line is designed for a top speed of 500 km/h and will reduce the journey time between Tokyo and Nagoya from the current 86 minutes to 40 minutes. The earliest date for the Tokyo – Nagoya section at the start of operation is now 2036. Costs have risen from an initial EUR 29.7 billion (JPY 5.5 trillion) to around EUR 59.4 billion. A later phase of the project involves extending the line to Osaka.