August 2010
Central Japan Railway Workers' Union (JRCU)SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

JR Central’s Plan to Begin Operating
the Chuo Shinkansen Line (SCMAGLEV) in 2027
Why Do We Oppose the Plan?
* No “prior assessment” or nationwide debate has taken place inside or out of the company.
Consequently, no consensus has been formed among the people.
* It would be arrogant and irresponsible for the debt-laden JR Central to build and operate
the Chuo Shinkansen line, a national project, as this would only add further to its debtburden.
* There are many unknowns concerning the risks to human health and the environment bypowerful electromagnetic fields.
* JR Central has failed to make clear its social mission, safety and environmental policies,
and has thus failed to fulfill its responsibility.
* JR Central will be at high risk of bankruptcy, potentially leading to further unemployment
problems for workers in the company and its affiliated firms.

Problematic Points...
１．Is There Really a Need for Greater Speed?
Currently, the Nozomi Shinkansen takes approximately an hour and 40 minutes to gofrom Tokyo to Nagoya. JR Central insists there is a need for a further reduction in journeytime. Is there really dissatisfaction, however, with the speed of the Shinkansen? A survey
conducted by the Kofu General Office of Asahi Shimbun regarding the Maglev Shinkansenroute last year showed that more than half (56.8%) of the respondents said, “The Maglev
Shinkansen is not necessary.” It seems unlikely that the public desires greater speed intransport.

２．Has Carrying Capacity Really Reached a Critical Limit?
Traffic volume on the Tokaido Shinkansen has been nearly flat since 1991. With thecurrent recession, in fact, the volume has actually dropped by approximately 10%. Outsideof the rush hours, there are plenty of empty seats on the Tokaido Shinkansen, and it is hard
to believe that its carrying capacity has reached a critical limit. In the years to come, thefalling birthrate will lead to a dwindling population. The number of people in the 15-64 age
Populationgroup, who use the Shinkansen

Change in Population

most frequently, may decrease

140000Total
120000Aged 15 to 64

100000by nearly 13% by 2025, when
theMaglev

scheduled

Shinkansen
toiscommence

operations. Moreover, by theyear 2045, when JR Central

80000

plans to extend the route toOsaka, the number is projected

60000

to have dropped by almost 35%!
JR Central is proceeding with40000

its plan on the assumption that
20000
0

thetraffic

volumeof

theTokaido Shinkansen will rise
09 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Yearsteadily.

３．Have Concrete Measures Been Adopted against the Serious Health Hazardof Electromagnetic Fields?
There is concern that the intensity of the magnetic fields generated by the maglev
systems could reach ６,000~40,000mG on the floor of the Shinkansen. A fact sheet on
electromagnetic fields from power equipment released in 2001 by the IARC (InternationalAgency for Research on Cancer), a subordinate agency of the WHO, stated, “In a population
exposed to average magnetic fields in excess of 4mG, twice as many children might develop
leukemia compared to a population with lower exposures.” It has also been reported that IH
rice cookers have sent improper signals to cardiac pacemakers. In addition, there is a casewhere a female teaching assistant at Jikei University School of Medicine contracted cancer
after being exposed to strong electromagnetic fields while doing animal experiments. Somecountries have enacted age limits on the use of mobile phones. Regulations onelectromagnetic fields / electromagnetic exposure are being strengthened across the world.
Despite these growing suspicions, what will happen when we are exposed to these muchstronger fields for 40 minutes at a time? Has technology for preventing electromagnetic
exposure been established? JR Central insists, “The electromagnetic fields are far weaker
than the WHO standards,” but that statement is baseless.

４．Will 7.5 Trillion Yen Really be Sufficient?
According to JR Central’s tentative calculation, the construction cost for the Maglev
Shinkansen using the most direct route (plan C) will be nearly 4.8 trillion yen. Dividing thetotal construction cost by the distance after deducting the test line, this amounts to 19.6
billion yen per kilometer.
Plans call for the Maglev Shinkansen to run through deep tunnels in urban areas, and
80% of the track will be laid underground. Considering the construction costs of recent
expressways and subways, the tentative calculation by JR Central can only be described assuper-optimistic.
Unit : ¥1 billion
Shinjuku Line / Shinjuku - Notoyawata (1989)

235

Fukutoshin Line / Ikebukuro - Shibuya (2008)

276

Ooedo Line / Hikarigaoka - Shinjuku (1997)

291

Ooedo Line / Shinjuku - Tochomae (2000)

343

Mita Line / Mita - Shirokanetakanawa (2000)

495

Tsukuba EXP / Tokyo - Akihabara (2016 planned)

500
700

Tokyo Central Beltway / Ikebukuro - Ikebukuro - Shinjuku (2007)

1000

Trans Tokyo Bay Highway / Kawasaki - Kisarazu (1997)
Maglev Chuo Shinkansen / Tokyo - Nagoya (2027 planned)（Starting Year） 0？ ？ ？

196
20040060080010001200

５．No Prospect for the Redemption of Long-Term Loans
JR Central’s outstanding loans are currently close to 3.2 trillion yen. The company repaid
nearly 2.2 trillion yen during the 18 years between 1991 and 2009. It will take a further 26
years to repay the whole sum at this pace. In order to carry out the Maglev Shinkansen
project, the company will have to redeem its debt by 2016. The fact that it pushed back theschedule for the start of operations of the Maglev Shinkansen from 2025 to 2027 seems to be
not totally unrelated to its financial difficulties. JR Central is in an extremely delicate
situation as a result of its enormous debts. It was only recently that Japan Airlines
collapsed, saddled with debts of 2.3 trillion yen. JR Central has the potential to become
another JAL.

６．The Maglev Shinkansen: The Only Countermeasure for the Aging Tokaido
Shinkansen?
It would be possible to conduct major repair work on the aging Tokaido Shinkansen
without relying on the Maglev Shinkansen project. For example, inventive construction
methods could be designed, additional limited express trains could be operated on theTokaido Main Line to carry passengers, or sections of track could be put out of service for ahalf a day or so at a time for intensive work.
The danger of earthquakes has been put forward as one reason to support the Maglev

Shinkansen. However, the planned construction route runs over unstable ground and cuts
through the Median Tectonic Line, an area with many faults where major earthquakes areexpected at any time. There is no evidence to support the contention that, “the Maglev
Shinkansen is an earthquake-proof railway system.” On the contrary, the damage by anearthquake could be even worse than for other trains, given the complexity of its systems.

TokyoRed lines: active faults, Green line: new route C

Give Us Your Thoughts on
JR Central’s Vision for the SCMAGLEV Shinkansen!
JR Central Was Unable to Justify Its Demand Projections at the Transport
Policy Council
The third meeting of the Transport Policy Council’s subcommittee on the Chuo
Shinkansen was held on May 10, and it featured a public hearing by JR Central. In
discussing estimated profits, JR Central stated, “Profits are expected to rise by 5% at thetime of initial opening of the Nagoya route, and after that to continue increasing by 10%
annually for the following decade. At the time the line is extended to Osaka, the profits will
increase by a further 15%.”
Subcommittee members asked JR Central about their rationale for believing that thedemand for the Maglev Shinkansen would increase even when it was clear that Japan had
an aging population with a falling birthrate, why they estimated that demand would
increase by 3% despite the fact that there were currently no flights between Tokyo andNagoya due to the lack of demand, and to explain why passengers were expected to movefrom other transportation means such as express buses to the Maglev Shinkansen despite
the higher costs. JR Central answered, “We have yet to examine those issues,” meaning thatthe company hadn’t even considered conducting research. Unless the company can show aclear basis for its demand projections, we can only assume it will continue along the roadtoward bankruptcy.
Moreover, in response to the request, “The company should thoroughly discuss the issue

with working people, especially its union members,” the company said, “This is a matterthat concerns our employees, and we are encouraging discussions and providing them withprogress reports.” As for the union’s demands, no bargaining has yet been held. JR Central
thus made false reports to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

Shinkansen and Maglev Systems used to Strengthen Japan-US Military
Alliance!
As part of its effort to sell Maglev and Shinkansen systems, JR Central established two
consulting companies in the US. Among the CEOs of these firms are former officials fromthe US Department of Defense. JR Central Chairman Yoshiyuki Kasai wrote in the July2010 issue of Bungeishunju (a monthly journal), that “The adoption of JR Central’s maglev
system as a high speed railway will become a symbol of the stability of the Japan-USalliance.”railway will become a symbol to stabilize the Japan-US alliance.”
Mr. Kasai is looking for markets for the Shinkansen and maglev systems in the US, not
as a service for passengers but based on military ambitions. This is absolutely unacceptable.

We appreciate your input!
For more information, please visit our website.
Central Japan Railway Workers’ Union (JRCU)
101 Sannoh Heights, 4-21-5 Sannoh, Ota-ku, Tokyo143-0023 Japan
TEL +81-3-5743-2562

FAX +81-3-5743-2570

http://www.geocities.jp/jrtoukairou/
Email jrtoukairou@yahoo.co.jp