A group of residents in the central Japan prefecture of Shizuoka are preparing to seek a court injunction to stop the construction of a high-speed maglev train line, officials of a local civic group said Saturday.

Central Japan Railway Co. is already facing opposition from the local government over the construction work and gave up on its original plan to open the new line between Tokyo and Nagoya in 2027.

The residents are concerned that tunnel work by the operator in a mountainous area could cut off groundwater flow and lower the water level of the Oi River, which passes through the central part of the prefecture known for its tea and oranges, the officials said.

Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu has refused to give approval for the maglev train work in the prefecture, citing potential environmental damage.

The maglev trains, with a top speed of 500 kilometers per hour, would connect the two major cities located 286 kilometers apart in 40 minutes, less than half the travel time for existing shinkansen train services.

There are other lawsuits in which residents living near the planned line are seeking to halt the construction work.

==Kyodo

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