The trainsets are popularly known in Japan as linear motor car (リニアモーターカー, rinia mōtā kā), though there are many technical variations.

The start date of commercial service is unknown, after Shizuoka Prefecture denied permission for construction work on a portion of the route in June 2020.

[6] Following the opening of the Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka in 1964, Japanese National Railways (JNR) focused on the development of faster Maglev technology.

Extension and upgrading work was completed by June 2013, allowing researchers to run tests at top speed over longer periods.

[10][11] JR Central began offering public train rides at 500 km/h (311 mph) on the Yamanashi test track, via a lottery selection, in 2014.

[15] A JR Central report on the Chuo Shinkansen was approved by a Liberal Democratic Party panel in October 2008, which certified three proposed routes for the Maglev.

According to a Japan Times news article, JR Central supported the more direct route, which would cost less money to build than the other two proposals, backed by Nagano Prefecture.

[16] In June 2009, JR Central also announced research results comparing the three routes, estimating revenue and travel time, which showed the most favorable being the shortest Plan C, with long tunnels under the Japanese Alps.

[23] JR Central announced in December 2007 that it planned to raise funds for the construction of the Chuo Shinkansen on its own, without government financing.

[28] The schedule was later altered to bring forward the completion date of the Nagoya-Osaka segment to 2037, after JR Central received a loan from the Japanese government.

[29] Construction of a 25 km (16 mi) tunnel under the southern Japanese Alps commenced on 20 December 2015, approximately 1,400 m (4,600 ft) below the surface at its deepest point.

The positive economic impact of the Chuo Shinkansen in reducing travel times between the cities has been estimated at anywhere between 5 and 17 trillion yen during the line's first fifty years of operation.

[32] JR Central expressed concern early on that the delay in construction of the only 9 kilometer long section going through Shizuoka might throw the entire project off schedule.

[36] Officials of Shizuoka Prefecture, in a meeting with JR Central in June 2020, denied permission to begin construction work on the tunnel.

[2] The incumbent governor of Shizuoka Prefecture Heita Kawakatsu was re-elected in June 2021, partly on a platform of continued opposition to construction of the new line, barring further accommodations by JR Central.

This action aims to address the anticipated impact on the Oi River’s water levels, a consequence of the construction project.

[citation needed] On 2 April 2024, Governor Kawakatsu announced that he would be resigning after making statements criticised as being insulting towards certain professions.

Governor Kawakatsu's resignation was met with discussions about whether his successor would approve tunnel construction, triggering a slight rise in JR Central’s stock price.

Politicians from the Kansai region called for, and received, state-backed loans for JR Central in order to expedite the line's construction, resulting in the opening of the extension being moved forward by up to 8 years.

Conventional trains, on the other hand, require less energy at slow speeds, with this advantage shrinking or even slightly reversing during high-speed operation.

As the Chūō Shinkansen mostly runs in tunnels, air resistance will be much higher than for most high-speed railways, significantly increasing energy consumption.

For comparison, the conventional N700-series train operating on the fastest service-pattern on the existing line between Tokyo and Osaka has an estimated energy consumption of 70 Wh/seat-km.

[52] Moreover, the operation of the L0 series maglev train is completely electric, making it easier to transition to low-carbon energy sources.