A tunnel boring machine operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) has been stopped for inspection after an abnormal noise was detected in the Kita-Shinagawa section of Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo. It is excavating approximately 8.2km toward Todoroki, with progress at approximately 9%.
According to a progress update dated 28 September published by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central), the tunnel boring machine working in the Kita-Shinagawa section of Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, is currently stopped for inspection after detecting an abnormal noise. The company said no impact on the ground surface or surrounding environment has been confirmed, but has not disclosed the cause of the stoppage or indicated when work will resume.
The approximately 9.2km Kita-Shinagawa section is part of the approximately 37km First Central City Tunnel. It extends approximately 8.2km west from Shinagawa Station toward the Todoroki emergency exit. The work is being carried out by a joint venture comprising Kumagai Gumi, Daiho Corporation and Tokura Corporation, and is part of the planned maglev Shinkansen route connecting Shinagawa and Nagoya.
The history of previous stoppages in Kita-Shinagawa includes a stoppage and inspection at approximately 50m in March 2022 following survey excavation in October 2021, a restart in May 2023, and a stoppage at approximately 124m in July 2023 after an outer plate deformed inward. Reshaping work was carried out from October 2023 through March 2024, and survey excavation was completed in November 2024.
Full-scale excavation began in August 2025, but work was stopped in October 2025 after an approximately 13cm level difference developed between a road and its pavement. In December 2025, insufficient ventilation was identified as a suspected cause, and the company announced a review of the ventilation plan and the introduction of new alerts. In April 2026, it notified Setagaya City that work would resume and indicated its policy for restarting operations. JR Central provides residents with weekly location updates every Monday and a 24-hour information contact.
The current stoppage point is approximately 734m into the approximately 8.2km section toward Todoroki, with excavation progress at approximately 9%.