5. Case 1: The Chuo Shinkansen Project, Japan

The Chuo Shinkansen project is a major transportation project in Japan. The Chu Shinkansen project also known as Tokaido Shinkansen Bypass is a new rail line being constructed in phases based on the Japanese Superconducting Magnetic Levitation (Maglev) system. The Japanese maglev line is expected to connect Tokyo and Nagoya city in 40 min. The initial project was designed to cover Shinagawa Station in Tokyo and Nogoya Station along with the construction of stations in Sagamihara, Kofu, lida and Nakatsugawa. The maximum speed of the maglev project was designed to be 500 km/h. Approximately 90 percent of the 286 kilometer travel to Nagoya will be through tunnels. The Japanese government funded maglev project initiated in the seventies was supported by Japan Airlines and the Japanese National Railways. The project is aimed to use the Shinkansen high speed train lines to cover all of Japan through Japan Railways (JR) network. The most popular line is the Tokaido Shinkansen that connects Tokyo with Osaka.