Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
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Railway Bureau
Shinkansen Development
Handling of new Shinkansen lines
The December 16, 2004
government-ruling party agreement

1. Basic approach
    Developments for new Shinkansen lines should be pushed forward steadily in accordance with the development program. With respect to optimizing public works projects, care must be taken to avoid blowing up expectations while moving forward with the review from the viewpoints of efficiency and priorities. Therefore, new starts of construction should be launched only after having ensured prospects for stable sources of revenues.
   
2. Shortening of term of work where construction has already started
    Developments for future new Shinkansen lines should first envision early completion of sections that are close to inauguration because of the importance of highlighting benefits to the national economy from the inauguration as soon as possible. The basic principle therefore is to plan to shorten the term of work on segments where work has already started. More specifically, because of the nature of public works projects, it will be appropriate in general to shorten the term of works to around ten years.
   
3. The start of construction of new sections
    With respect to the start of construction of new sections, of those segments where applications for authorization of work implementation programs are under way, priority will be given to new construction starts, particularly those segments with high development benefits and those segments where lines will open at the same time as segments where construction has already started.
  In addition to thorough examinations of income and expenditure profitability and investment benefits at that time, implementation will take place after confirmation of basic conditions, including agreement with JR and securing of agreement with trackside local public entities regarding the separate management of parallel old lines.
  When agreement is reached with trackside local public entities regarding the separate management of parallel old lines, trackside local public entities must thoroughly examine their business prospects if the parallel old lines are run by semi-public corporations.
   
4. Handling of line segments
 
   Tohoku Shinkansen
 
Hachinohe - Shinaomori    To be completion by the end of 2010
   
   Hokkaido Shinkansen
 
Shin-Aomori - Shin-Hakodate    Construction will be launched at the beginning of 2005 after completing procedures for all necessary authorizations. Efforts will be made to complete the segment as soon as possible as the goal is completion by the end of 2015.
   
   Kyushu Shinkansen (Kagoshima route)
 
Hakata - Shin-Yatsushiro    To be completion at the end of 2010.
   
   Kyushu Shinkansen (Nagasaki route)
 
Takeo Onsen - Isahaya    In order to get results quickly, it has been decided to examine the optimal method of operations of the parallel old line section in Saga while securing the cooperation of Nagasaki. Construction will start immediately once adjustments have been finalized. The goal is to achieve adjustments by the use of variable-gauge change trains.

Survey of Nagasaki Station
   
   Hokuriku Shinkansen
 
Nagano - Kanazawa depot    Assuming developments on the full standard in the Nagano - Kanazawa depot, it was decided to start construction at the beginning of 2005 on the Toyama - Isurugi segment and the Nagano - Kanazawa vehicle base facility segment after completing procedures to secure all necessary authorizations. It has been decided to try for completion of the Nagano - Kanazawa depot as early as possible with the goal of completion by the end of 2014.
Kanazawa depot - Nanetsu    After completing procedures to secure all necessary authorizations, construction was launched at the beginning of 2005 on the Fukui Station section in view of the efficiency of carrying out construction in concert with the elevation of the Echizen Railway. The goal is completion by the end of 2008.
Nanetsu - Tsuruga    After completing all necessary procedures, applications for authorization for the construction project implementation program will be carried out immediately.
   
5. Sources of revenue for developments
  Use will be made only of front-loaded Shinkansen transfer income (amount appropriated for Shinkansen development) after 2013 as the source of revenue for new Shinkansen lines. In this case, local public entities will bear half of the amount of the Shinkansen transfer income that it has been front-loaded.
   
6. Following is the new Shinkansen line-related budget for FY 2005.
 
   19.5 billion yen are appropriated for construction operations for new Shinkansen lines. Consequently, 70.6 billion yen are appropriated for public works project-related expenditures.
   3.5 billion yen are appropriated for operations expenditures for advanced construction of devepolments for new Shinkansen lines.
   
7. A close examination will be made of inauguration with respect to the amount to be borne by JR regarding basic benefits in connection with the development of the Hokkaido Shinkansen (Shin-Aomori - Shin-Hakodate) and Hokuriku Shinkansen (Joetsu - Kanazawa).
   
8. Technological development of variable-gauge trains will be promoted in an effort to achieve rapid practical application of this technology.
   
9. Any necessary reviews will be performed if necessary regarding the handling of future new Shinkansen lines.
   
10. The items that do not conflict with this agreement and are governed by agreements related to former new Shinkansen lines shall still be valid.
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