JR Tokai stops tunneling work for maglev train

NAGOYA, May 16 (Jiji Press) – Central Japan Railway Co., or JR Tokai, will briefly halt drilling work on a tunnel for the planned Chuo Shinkansen maglev line after water levels in nearby wells fell, President Shunsuke Niwa said on Thursday .

JR Tokai will dig several hundred meters deep to study the geological conditions around the tunnel in Mizunami, Gifu Prefecture, Niwa said at a news conference. It is not yet clear when the survey will start and how long it will last.

The stop will have no impact on the opening of the maglev train, which is expected as early as 2034, Niwa said.

He added that JR Tokai would dig a new well in a few days to secure an alternative water source.

JR Tokai noticed a drop in water levels at a well it had set up as an observation point in late February. It later confirmed a decline in water levels at 14 locations, including municipal water sources and wells in private homes.

“As no other construction work has been carried out in the surrounding areas that could affect the groundwater level, we believe there is a high probability that the decline was caused by (the tunnel) work,” Niwa said.

The Gifu prefectural government asked JR Tokai to report the cause of the water level drop as soon as possible.