The transport ministry showed Wednesday three detailed options for an extended route from Tsuruga to Osaka for the Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train line.
All the proposals, presented to a ruling coalition panel, begin at Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture and reach Shin-Osaka Station via another Fukui city of Obama, and Kyoto.
The three options differ from each other when it comes to the location of the Kyoto stop.
All suggest that a station be newly constructed underground. But according to two of the options, the new stop will be built running east to west or north to south beneath Kyoto Station.
Meanwhile, the other proposed location is near Katsuragawa Station, some 5 kilometers west of Kyoto Station.
The ministry said the route extension is newly estimated to cost up to ¥5.3 trillion, up over twofold from the initial estimate of ¥2.1 trillion, assuming that the inflation rate will remain at 2% per year.
The ministry also said the route construction is expected to last up to 28 years, over 10 years longer than its initial forecast.
The ruling camp hopes to reach a decision on the route by the end of this year, with a goal to begin construction work in fiscal 2025.
Some local governments concerned and opposition parties are advocating connecting the Hokuriku Shinkansen line with the Tokaido Shinkansen line's Maibara Station in Shiga Prefecture due to cheaper construction costs and a shorter construction period.
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