Central Japan Railway Co. will likely start building a maglev line to link Tokyo with Nagoya around next fall, sources said Sunday.
The railway, better known as JR Tokai, will submit the construction plan for the magnetically levitated train to the transport ministry by summer 2014.
"We hope to start on construction as soon as possible after obtaining state approval," a senior official of the railway said.
Maglev trains will start running between the capital and Nagoya in 2027, linking the two cities in about 40 minutes, compared with the current 100 minutes or so it takes for conventional shinkansen to make the trip.
The exact timing of the project, however, remains uncertain.
The company still must negotiate the details with local authorities and residents along the planned route.